By Rick Boxx

Jeff擔任一家連鎖珠寶店的新任CEO。他的第一個最大的挑戰之一是評估所有全國連鎖分店的表現。當他與他的執行團隊審查每家分店的表現結果時，其中一家店讓他感到相當困惑。

這家店曾是全公司表現最好的商店，但是它突然變得最糟糕！Jeff問他的團隊為什麼會這樣，他收到了令人驚訝的回應：「哦!那是Tim管理的店。在他找到上帝之前，他是我們最好的銷售管理者。」 Jeff自己是耶穌基督的追隨者，聽到這個消息後變得非常沮喪，並決心立刻調查這家店為何有這樣戲劇性轉變。

當他與Tim見面時，Jeff直率和堅定告訴Tim：「作為一名基督徒，我希望你努力工作，讓你所管理的店，成為公司最好的，而不是最糟糕的。我希望你的心態不僅僅是為我們的公司工作，也能為上帝而提供100％的服務。」他指出是一段聖經經文，「無論做甚麼，都要從心裏做，像是給主做的，不是給人做的，因你們知道從主那裏必得著基業為賞賜；你們所事奉的乃是主基督。」（歌羅西書3章23-24節）。

我們會傾向於認為自己只是為僱用我們的企業工作，因此有些人願意盡其所能的為公司做事。作為耶穌基督的大使，我們能見證他的，不只是我們所說的話，還有在我們面前的工作的品質和承諾。作為耶穌基督的使者，我們應該以在工作場所勤奮工作，而使耶穌名揚世界。

使徒保羅寫信給帖撒羅尼迦的基督徒說：「弟兄們，你們記念我們的辛苦勞碌，晝夜做工，傳　神的福音給你們，免得叫你們一人受累。」（帖撒羅尼迦前書2章9節）。他有一個重要的信息要傳達 ，就是耶穌基督的福音，但保羅從未忘記勤奮工作的美德，並承諾表現出卓越的工作態度。這裡有一些其他的聖經原則：

盡你所能，盡可能地努力工作。我們可能會因為退休，殘疾還是因為離世，而不再工作。所以我們應該把我們必須做的工作視為一種特權，而不是一種負擔。 「凡你手所當做的事要盡力去做；因為在你所必去的陰間沒有工作，沒有謀算，沒有知識，也沒有智慧。」（傳道書9章10節）。

無論做什麼工作都要做到最好。再看看歌羅西書3章23節，要知道保羅不是給高級管理人員或高績效銷售人員寫這封信。他信件的收件者大多是做平凡的、低下階層的勞動者，比如說鏟糞的。所以當他告訴他們，”無論你做什麼工作，都要全心全意去做”，他也說：”這不是關乎你做的是什麼，而是盡最大努力做到最好”

我們的工作是神對我們神聖目的的一部分。工作也許是困難的，甚至是令人不愉快的。但從一開始，上帝的目的是讓我們通過我們的工作為他和他人服務。「我們原是他的工作，在基督耶穌裏造成的，為要叫我們行善，就是　神所預備叫我們行的。」（以弗所書2章10節）。

版權所有2018 非傳統商業網路(前身為純全資源中心)。節錄自和Rick Boxx的純全時刻，這本刊物主要是從基督徒的角度來探討職場上正直這個主題。如果希望知道更多關於這個事工或是想訂閱每日純全時刻，請上這個網站: www.unconventionalbusiness.org. Rick Boxx最新出版的書提供用五個關鍵的神的方法來建立企業。

反省與問題討論

你是否同意我們的工作的品質，應該被視為是我們信仰的反映？為什麼? 或者為什麼不應該？ 你是否遇到的一些困難，無法在工作場所實踐自己的信仰，並堅持聖經教導的價值觀和原則? 當面對一個看起來不愉快的任務或工作項目時，甚至”低於”的能力時，你通常會如何回應？你是否盡可能快速完成這項工作，甚至偷工減料？或者，你會以願意承擔更多挑戰性工作相同的承諾來執行這項任務？ 對於工作是神對我們神聖目地的一部分，你有何看法?

備註：如果你手上有聖經希望知道更多和這個主題相關的經文，請參考：

箴言10章7節

10:7 義人的紀念被稱讚；惡人的名字必朽爛。

箴言11章3節

11:3 正直人的純正必引導自己；奸詐人的乖僻必毀滅自己。

箴言12章11節

12:11 耕種自己田地的，必得飽食；追隨虛浮的，卻是無知。

箴言14章23節

14:23 諸般勤勞都有益處；嘴上多言乃致窮乏。

箴言21章5節

21:5 殷勤籌劃的，足致豐裕；行事急躁的，都必缺乏。

箴言22章29節

22:29 你看見辦事殷勤的人嗎？他必站在君王面前，必不站在下賤人面前。

哥林多後書5章20節

5:20 所以，我們作基督的使者，就好像　神藉我們勸你們一般。我們替基督求你們與　神和好。

提摩太後書 3章16-17節

3:16 聖經都是　神所默示的（或譯：凡　神所默示的聖經），於教訓、督責、使人歸正、教導人學義都是有益的，
3:17 叫屬　神的人得以完全，預備行各樣的善事。

WORKING HARD – FOR THE RIGHT REASONS

By Rick Boxx

Jeff was the new CEO of a chain of jewelry stores. One of his first challenges was to evaluate the performances for all of the national chain’s branches. As he was reviewing the results for each branch with his executive team, he became puzzled about one particular store.

This had been company’s best performing store, but suddenly it had become the worst! When Jeff asked his team why this was so, he received a surprising response: “Oh, that’s Tim’s store. He was our best operator until he found the Lord.” Jeff, himself a follower of Jesus Christ, became dismayed upon hearing this and determined to investigate the dramatic shift in performance immediately.

When he met with Tim, Jeff was blunt and uncompromising: “As a Christian, I expect you to work hard to be our best store, not our worst. I would expect for you to give no less than 100 percent, as working for the Lord, rather than just for our company.” He was referring to a Bible passage that states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

There is a tendency – and a temptation – to regard ourselves as working solely for the enterprise that employs us, and because of that, some people are content to do as little as they can get away with. As ambassadors for Jesus Christ, part of our witness for Him is not the words we express, but the quality and commitment we give to the work set before us. Followers of Jesus should be known for working diligently in the workplace.

Writing to Christ followers in the ancient city of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul said, “We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you”(1 Thessalonians 2:9). He had an important message to communicate – the Good News of Jesus Christ – but Paul never forgot the virtues of hard work and demonstrating a believer’s commitment to excellence. Here are some other biblical principles:

Work as hard as you can while you can. There will be a time when we cannot work, whether due to retirement, disability, or ultimately, our passing from this life. So we should regard the work we have to do as a privilege, not a burden. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Do well at whatever work you are assigned, regardless of what it is. Taking another look at Colossians 3:23, it is helpful to realize Paul was not writing to top executives or high-performing salespeople. Recipients of his letter were mostly doing mundane, even disagreeable tasks, such as shoveling manure. So when he instructs them, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,” he is telling them, “It does not matter what you have to do; give it your best effort regardless.”

Our work is part of God’s divine purpose for us. Work may be difficult, and at times unpleasant, but from the start, God’s intent was for us to serve Him and others through our work. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

Copyright 2018, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx,” a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more or to sign up for Rick’s Integrity Moments emails, visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. His latest book, Unconventional Business, provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God’s Way.”

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Do you agree that the quality of our work should rightly be perceived as a reflection of the faith we profess? Why or why not?
2. What are some difficulties you have observed or encountered in seeking to live out your faith in the workplace and to uphold the values and principles the Bible teaches?
3. How do you typically respond when faced with a task or project that seems unpleasant, or even “beneath” your capabilities? Do you try to get it done as quickly as possible, even cutting corners if necessary? Or do you pursue that assignment with the same level of commitment you would give to a more challenging job?
4. What are your thoughts about work being part of God’s divine purpose for our lives? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Proverbs 10:7, 11:3, 12:11, 14:23, 21:5, 22:29; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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