專業領域或是個人領域的「重新栽種」
By Jim Mathis
種出健康的植物不是一件容易的事。花開得不好、土太快變乾、葉子和莖發育不良，甚至葉子掉落都是很糟的狀況。這些徵兆都是因為植物無法從根部吸取足夠的營養和水分造成的。
通常，解決的方案是把植物移到新的盆中，把它們重新栽種到不同的環境裡。這樣的做法已經被證明是有利於植物整體的健康和生長的。
有趣的是，這種「重新栽種」的原則不僅適用於植物，也適用於人類。回顧我的生命歷程，我被連根拔起，重新栽種了好幾次。事實證明，每次我都得到了益處。例如，一個年輕人離家上大學就是一次重要的「重新栽種」。並不是舊環境不好，只是新的肥沃土壤讓我開花了。
44年前，當我辭掉工作並開始自己的事業時，它就是一個全新的花園。在我生命中的每一個時期，當我看起來已經長成，不再開花，甚至掉落一些葉子時，就是我重新栽種到一個更大的盆中，有新鮮的土壤和新的生活刺激的時候了。
半年前，我決定再次重新開展新的業務，這次的重點是修復照片。對我而言，這是一個全新的世界，運用新的工具和技術，能夠將許多人的舊家庭照片恢復到原有的美好。
這種「重新栽種」的過程有時需要放棄熟悉的事物嘗試新的東西。有些人比其他人更容易接受變化，但是變化是不可避免和必要的。就像一個苦苦掙扎的工廠在重整之前是不會茁壯成長一樣，當我們拒絕冒險做出必要的改變時，對個人在專業和私領域上的成長都是很不利的。
我們也可以將這種「重新栽種」的想法運用到我們的屬靈生活中。去年，我和我的妻子通過改變教會成功地重新栽種了我們的屬靈生命。我們成為一個歷史悠久的教會成員已經35年了，經過多次禱告和仔細的討論，教會確定了重大有次序的重整。我們希望找到一個新的屬靈氛圍，招募可以和我們一起敬拜、服事的新人，這樣的改變重新點燃了我們與上帝的關係。
還有其他方法也可以在屬靈上「重新栽種」。這可能會改變你每天與主共度時光的方式 ，或者也意味著如果你還沒有這樣做，那麼現在就決定開始這個旅程。
箴言27章17節告訴我們：「鐵磨鐵，磨出刃來；朋友相感（原文是磨朋友的臉）也是如此。」上帝並沒有打算讓我們的屬靈生命孤立地活著，與別人分開。就像人體內的器官必須依靠彼此才能健康、成長和有力一樣，我們要確保自己和聖經所描述的「基督的身體」的其他成員保持密切聯繫。
希伯來書10章24-25節的另一段經文告誡我們要「 又要彼此相顧，激發愛心，勉勵行善。你們不可停止聚會，好像那些停止慣了的人，倒要彼此勸勉，既知道（原文是看見）那日子臨近，就更當如此。」這可以適用於參與當地教會，但也常常意味著與其他信徒或是和一個靈命成熟的人聚會，我們可以在聖經的基礎上學習和接受明智的忠告。如果你的生活中沒有這樣的人，可能是需要「重新栽種」的時候了。
Jim Mathis是美國堪薩斯州歐弗蘭帕克攝影工作室的老闆，專門從事商業和戲劇肖像攝影，並經營著一所攝影學校。 他以前是密蘇里州堪薩斯城咖啡店的經理和CBMC的執行董事。
反省與問題討論
你有沒有種過植物？或者認識一個喜歡和擅長園藝的人？你所觀察到不健康的植物或者長太大的植物經過「重新栽種」之後產生了甚麼變化？ 想一想自己的人生到目前為止，在專業和個人方面是否「重新栽種」過？對你來說那是甚麼樣的經歷？ 您認為「重新栽種」的原則如何應用在我們的靈命成長上面？這是必要的嗎？請分享你的原因。 你認為自己在生活中需要採取什麼行動才能「重新栽種」自己的靈性，讓它重新成長甚至比以前更好？在這個過程中，是否有任何可以信任並依賴的人來幫助你？
備註：如果你手上有聖經並希望閱讀更多跟這個主題相關的信息，請參考以下的經文：(因經文較長，考慮到篇幅和新舊約經文，您可以參閱下列未列出的經文:啟示錄3章14-20節)
約書亞記1章6-9節
1:6 你當剛強壯膽！因為你必使這百姓承受那地為業，就是我向他們列祖起誓應許賜給他們的地。
1:7 只要剛強，大大壯膽，謹守遵行我僕人摩西所吩咐你的一切律法，不可偏離左右，使你無論往哪裏去，都可以順利。
1:8 這律法書不可離開你的口，總要晝夜思想，好使你謹守遵行這書上所寫的一切話。如此，你的道路就可以亨通，凡事順利。
1:9 我豈沒有吩咐你嗎？你當剛強壯膽！不要懼怕，也不要驚惶；因為你無論往哪裏去，耶和華─你的 神必與你同在。」
傳道書4章9-12節
4:9 兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
4:10 若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
4:11 再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？
4:12 有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷。
啟示錄2章1-6節
2:1 「你要寫信給以弗所教會的天使，說：『那位右手拿著七顆星、在七個金燈臺中間行走的，這樣說：2:2 我知道你所做的；你怎樣辛勤工作，怎樣忍耐；我也知道你不容忍壞人，曾考驗過那些自稱是使徒而其實不是使徒的人，認出他們是假冒的。
2:3 你有耐心，曾為我的緣故經歷患難，從不退縮。
2:4 但是，有一件事我要責備你：就是你已經失去了當初對我的愛心。
2:5 你想一想，你已經墮落到甚麼程度了！你要悔改，恢復當初愛心的行為。如果你不悔改，我要來，把你的燈臺從原處拿走。
2:6 不過，你有一個優點：就是你跟我一樣恨惡尼哥拉派的所作所為。
“RE-POTTING” TIME, PROFESSIONALLY OR PERSONALLY?
Jim Mathis
Growing healthy plants is not always an easy proposition. Poor flowering, quickly dried out soil, stunted leaves and stems, and even dropped leaves are signs of distress. Plants give these signals because they are not able to draw enough nutrients and moisture from their current root situation.
Often the solution is a simple matter of transplanting them into a new pot – re-potting them into a different setting that proves more conducive for their overall health and growth.
Interestingly, this “re-potting” principle applies to not only plants, but to humans as well. Looking back over the course of my life, I have been uprooted and replanted or re-potted several times. Each time, as it turned out, the result was to my good advantage. For instance, leaving home and going to college as a young man was a major replant. Not that the old environment was bad; it was just that new fertile soil allowed me to blossom.
When I quit my job and started my own business 44 years ago, it was a whole new garden. In each period of my life, when it seemed that I was done growing, not flowering, or even dropping a few metaphorical leaves, I was able to re-pot to a bigger pot with fresh soil and new excitement for living.
A half dozen years ago, I decided to re-pot my business once again, this time with an emphasis on photo restorations. It has been a whole new world, using new tools and techniques that have enabled me to restore many people's old family pictures to their original glory.
This re-potting process sometimes it requires being willing to let go of the familiar and attempt something new. Some people deal with change more easily than others, but for virtually every one of us, at times change is unavoidable and necessary. Just as a struggling plant will not thrive until it is re-potted, we too can find our growth stunted, both professionally and personally, when we refuse to risk making much-needed changes.
We can also apply this re-potting idea to our spiritual lives. Last year, my wife and I successfully re-potted our spiritual life by changing churches. We had been members of our old church for 35 years, and after much prayer and deliberation, determined that major replanting was in order. Finding a new spiritual environment, having new people with whom we could worship and serve, was just what we needed to rekindle our relationship with God.
There are other ways to “re-pot” spiritually. It may involve changing the way you spend time with the Lord each day – or it might mean determining to start spending time with Him every day if you are not already doing so.
Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” God did not intend for our spiritual lives to be lived in isolation, in a vacuum apart from others. Just as organs in the human body must rely on one another for health, growth and strength, we need to make sure we remain closely connected to other members of what the Bible describes as “the body of Christ.”
Another passage, Hebrews 10:24-25, admonishes us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another….” This can apply to being involved in a local church, but it also often means getting together with other believers, particularly one”s who are more mature in their faith we can learn from and receive wise counsel based on the Scriptures. If you do not have someone like that in your life, it may be time to “re-pot.”
Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive, commercial and theatrical portraits, and operates a school of photography. He formerly was a coffee shop manager and executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Have you ever tried growing plants, or do you know someone who enjoys doing that and is good at it? What has been the effect you have observed of re-potting a plant, whether because it was unhealthy, or simply because it had outgrown the pot it had been in? Thinking over your life to this point, have there been times when you have been re-potted professionally? How about personally? What has that kind of experience been like for you? How do you think this re-potting principle applies to our spiritual journey in life? Is it even necessary? Why or why not? What steps might be necessary in your own life to “re-pot” spiritually and start growing again – or growing more fully than you have in recent days? Do you have anyone you can trust and rely on to help you in this process?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Joshua 1:6-9; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Revelation 2:1-6, 3:14-20
