正直真的很重要嗎？

隨著這個世界越來越競爭和全球經濟和商業越來越複雜，對違反道德的行為，我們卻只是聳聳肩，而且告訴自己說：「如果一切都按照規矩走，我們就無法生存下去。」因此很多人相信，為了要做生意或是維持生意，我們必須不擇手段。

這是很令人悲傷的，我們把自己的信仰和工作分開，把神遺忘了。但是在我自己從商和從事商業顧問的經驗裡，我卻不斷地看到正直的重要性。

「正直」對神來說很重要，神已經呼召祂的門徒提高標準並且成為工作職場上其他人的榜樣。對你我來說，或者對RITA這樣的商業人士來說，正直很重要，或者說它應該很重要。

我在會議上認識RITA。在我們比較熟悉之後，她對我坦白說她正處於一個職場道德的兩難。用她的話來說，她覺得自己被迫在做一些決定時感到有罪惡感。

二年前，Rita和兩個非基督徒成為合夥人。隨著時間過去，另外兩個合夥人所做的許多決定非常明顯地有違反道德的問題。在Rita的心中，她覺得自己需要做些什麼，但是她卻沒有勇氣這麼做。不想選邊站的後果就是必須妥協自己的信仰。

在Rita聽過我對企業主的演講之後，她知道自己必須要堅守聖經的原則，解除合夥人關係並且離開那個企業。在她做這個困難的決定之時，我感謝神讓我能幫助她去做神要求她做的事。

Rita知道她的決定也許不會改變舊合夥人所做的，但是對她來說卻能持守工作和信仰一致。在舊約聖經的箴言裡告訴我們持守高標準正直的好處：

平安。「行正直路的，步步安穩；走彎曲道的，必致敗露。」(箴言10章9節)

引導的來源。「正直人的純正必引導自己；奸詐人的乖僻必毀滅自己。」(箴言11章3節)

安全感。「行為正直的，有公義保守；犯罪的，被邪惡傾覆。」(箴言13章6節)

版權所有 2014 純全資源中心－與Rick Boxx一起的純全時刻，從職場基督徒的觀點來評論正直的議題。想要知道更多關於純全資源中心或是加入Rick Boxx的每日純全時刻，請到www.integrityresource.org。Rick的著作:不犧牲正直更興旺，告訴您用聖經理正直的方法做生意。

With the challenging and complex worldwide economy and business climate, we not only shrug at such behavior but also begin to tell ourselves we cannot survive in the marketplace if we play by the rules. “You do whatever you have to do to get – or retain – business,” many people believe.

Sadly we have separated our faith from our work and left God out of the equation. But my years of experience in the business and professional world, both as a businessman and consultant, I have seen evidence again and again that integrity does matter.

It matters to God. The Lord has called His followers to raise the standard and become examples for those we work with and encounter every day. It matters – or should matter – to you and me. And it matters to businesspeople like Rita.

I met Rita at a conference. After we got acquainted, she confided she was struggling with a moral dilemma in her business. In her words, she felt “convicted” about a decision she was pressured to make.

Two years earlier Rita had entered into a partnership with two other people, neither of whom shared her faith in Jesus Christ. Over time it became clear many of the decisions her partners were making, without her support, were ethically questionable at best. In her heart Rita knew what she needed to do, but lacked the courage to do it. To not take a stand would require compromising her ethics and personal beliefs.

After hearing me speak to a group of business owners, however, Rita knew she had to uphold the biblical principles that she believed in, dissolve the partnership, and walk away from the business. I felt thankful for being able to connect with Rita and help her come to terms with the action God had clearly been asking her to do, even though it was difficult.

Rita knew her decision probably would not result in a change in her former partners” business practices, but realized how critical it was to live and work in a manner consistent with the faith she professed. The Old Testament book of Proverbs tells benefits of holding to high standards of integrity:

A sense of peace. “The man (person) of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9).

A source for guidance. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3).

A feeling of security. “Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner” (Proverbs 13:6).

Copyright 2014, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. 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 about Integrity Resource Center or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org. His book, How to Prosper in Business Without Sacrificing Integrity, gives a biblical approach for doing business with integrity.