困難的時候與人合作
By Mike Reading
大部份的人在工作上花很多時間。在職場上，我們要與人互動完成工作、支援同事、服務客戶以及為達成公司的目標而做出努力。但是大部分的人，都不是那麼容易相處。
但是耶穌告訴我們，愛神也必須要愛我們的鄰舍，即使某些人不像是鄰舍，反而像是敵人(馬太福音 5章43-48節)，而且要愛人如己(馬可福音12章31節)，要去滿足他們的需要如同滿足我們的需要一樣。
耶穌透過祂的服事，給我們做了最佳的模範，最終被釘在十字架上。祂非常清楚為了要愛人如己需要付出甚麼代價。「我現在心裏憂愁，我說甚麼才好呢？父啊，救我脫離這時候；但我原是為這時候來的。」(約翰福音12章27節)
就算不容易，我們要如何實踐愛人的誡命呢？請想一想下面幾種狀況：
首先檢視自己的內心。當遇到困難的時候，誠實面對自己的內心，是一件需要勇氣的事。在高壓的狀況之下，很多人只是看外在的環境，他們認為這個問題的原因都是外在的。他們會怪其他人、找藉口。但是，神要我們檢視自己的內心，就算是別人造成的，我們也必須要擔起自己當付的責任。
當遇到困難的處境或是人的時候，常常問自己：「造成這種狀況，我該負甚麼責任？我需要做些甚麼來解決問題？」使徒保羅在解決教會內的衝突時，給我們立下了很好的典範。在他早期的書信裡面，他說他看自己「我原是使徒中最小的，不配稱為使徒…」哥林多前書15章9節)。之後，他又提到自己是罪人中的罪魁。(提摩太前書1章15節)保羅有很清楚的自我覺察，知道只有我們自己能夠讓自己有意識地去選擇應該如何面對人和環境。
用熱情工作。熱情可以解釋為有行動的同情心。對他人敞開，能使我們用創造力和彈性來面對艱難的時刻。同理心能使我們與人連結，它能幫助我們有效率地使用在關係中的壓力和犧牲來完成工作。我們被呼召要關心其他人、感同身受、看到別人所看到的世界、向別人學習，以及用我們所學來的做些有意義的事。
用熱情工作最有挑戰性的部分就是，我們沒有辦法期待別人也用同等的熱情在工作，所以熱情也等同於無私的付出。我們在耶穌的身上找到熱情。祂即使上了十字架，仍然對釘死祂的人說：「當下耶穌說：「父啊！赦免他們；因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」兵丁就拈鬮分他的衣服。」(路加福音23章34節)
2017版權所有 工作很重要(Workmatters) 麥克．瑞丁(Mike Reading)是工作很重要(Workmatters)中心的負責人。Workmatters是一個職場事工機構，專門裝備和培養年輕的專業人士有以耶穌為中心的工作熱忱。麥克擁有奧其塔浸信大學的學士學位、達拉斯神學院聖經研究的碩士以及伯祺大學研究院轉化型領導學博士學位。欲知更多關於workmatters的訊息，請上workmatters網站。
省思與問題討論
在職場上，你覺得那些人是很難愛得下去的？ 在這個星期，如果你試著用滿足自己需要的同等的能量去滿足那些人的需要，結果會如何？ 回想一個最近的衝突，捫心自問：「造成這種狀況，我該負甚麼責任？我需要做些甚麼來解決問題？」 如果在衝突中，你能夠能同理並了解對方，你會做出甚麼不一樣的反應？
備註: 如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多和這個主題相關的經文，請參考：路加福音10章25-37節；馬太福音5章43-48節；25章31-46節
WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHEN IT IS DIFFICULT
by Mike Reading
Most of us spend more time at work than we do any other place. There we must interact with people to get tasks done, support coworkers, satisfy customers, and make contributions toward reaching organizational goals. Not all people, however, are easy to work with.
Yet Jesus Christ tells us that to love God necessarily also means to love our neighbor — even those we would consider more like enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). And the quality of love He calls us to extend to our neighbor is radical: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). To love someone the way we love ourselves essentially means our attempt to address the needs of others with the same sense of urgency and tenacity with which we seek to meet our own needs.
Jesus modeled this love for us throughout His ministry, and ultimately on the cross. He understood more than anybody the cost He was asking us to pay in order to love people to the degree with which we love ourselves: “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour?” No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour” (John 12:27).
So how can we practice loving people, especially when it is difficult? Consider these two practices the next time you find yourself in such a challenging position:
Look Inward First. It takes courage to look within ourselves first when faced with conflict. In high-pressure situations, many people look outward. They find reasons outside of themselves for their problems. They blame others or the situation, and look for excuses. However, the Lord asks us to look inward. We are to take personal responsibility for what is happening and what needs to be done, even when circumstances or other people clearly play a definitive role.
When faced with difficult situations and people, routinely ask yourself, “What is my part in creating the situation, and what do I, personally, need to do about it?” The apostle Paul modeled such behavior when dealing with conflicts within the Church. Early in Paul”s writings, he said he considered himself, “the least of the apostles and [I] do not even deserve to be called an apostle …” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Later in his writings, Paul referred to himself as the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). The apostle had keen self-awareness. Knowing ourselves enables us to make conscious, intentional choices about how we respond to people and situations.
Work with Compassion. Compassion can be defined as “empathy in action.” Being open to others enables us to face tough times with creativity and resilience. Empathy enables us to connect with people. It helps us get things done, and to deal with stress and the sacrifices inherent in leadership in powerful, effective ways. We are called to care enough to want to learn about other people, feel what they feel, see the world the way they do, and then do something with what we have learned.
The most challenging part about working with compassion is that we cannot assume or expect an equal exchange of compassion to be given to us. Compassion means giving selflessly. We find the capacity for compassion in Jesus, who said on the cross, while looking at the people who were crucifying Him, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). What an amazing request!
Copyright 2017, Workmatters. Mike Reading is Director of Workmatters Institute, a marketplace ministry that equips young professionals to develop a Christ-centric passion for work. He holds a BS degree from Ouachita Baptist University, an MA in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a DTL (Doctorate of Transformational Leadership) from Bakke Graduate University. To learn more about Workmatters, visit workmatters.org.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Who are those people in your workplace you find most difficult to love? What would it look like if you strived to meet their needs this week with the same energy you use to meet your own? Think back to a recent conflict. Look inward and ask yourself, “What was my part in creating the situation? What do I need to do about it now?” If you were to empathize and seek to understand the other person”s experience with that conflict, what would you have done differently to show compassion?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about principles it presents, consider the following passages: Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 5:43-48, 25:31-46
