辨別神旨意的挑戰
Rick Boxx
你是否玩過一種團隊遊戲，叫做「信任隊友」? 遊戲是這樣進行的:你的隊友站在你的背後，你因為信任他而往後躺。你願不願意往後躺，常常跟你認知中他們的能力有關，但無論他們的能力有多強，你若不願意往後躺，他們也無法接住你。
有趣的是，尋求和分辨神對我們生活和工作的旨意也是類似的過程。很多人說他們想要明白神對他們的工作或是公司的旨意，但對旨意的結果卻不願意放手交給神。
箴言3章5-6節教導我們：「你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明，在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。」無論環境如何我們都需要尋神的旨意，但是明白神旨意的第一步就是要明白神有能力在背後支撐你，祂希望你活出祂的旨意，你要信任祂，並往後躺在祂的手臂裡。
下一步如箴言3章5節所說的：「你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明」。這很難做到，因為我們總是想知道未來會發生甚麼、為什麼發生和怎麼發生的。要我們不可倚靠自己的聰明是令人不安的，但是聖經卻總教導我們這麼做。
如果你參加過腦力激盪(brainstorming)的課程，你就會知道每個人的想法和經驗多麼地不同，你可以想像身為創造者的神祂能創造多少的想法，就像以賽亞書55章8節所說的：「你的意念高過我的意念，你的道路高過我的道路」如果我們真想要知道祂的旨意，我們就要停止去猜想祂的旨意。
羅馬書12章2節告訴我們：「不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為上帝的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。」如果你真的想知道神對你和你公司的旨意，用禱告和讀經改變自己的想法，倚靠祂的智慧，不依靠自己的聰明。
最後一步也不容易做到，就是將每件事交給神。許多年來，我努力經營銀行朝著自己的目標邁進，有一個人說要資助我做一個我夢想中的事業。然而透過禱告，神對我說祂對我有不一樣的計畫，祂要我開始一個職場的事工。說實在的，對我來說是很錯愕可怕的，因為我要離開舒適圈進入一個完全不同全新的領域。在完全不知道未來的狀況之下，我順服了把每一件事交給神，到現在我都沒有後悔。
在讀舊約的約伯記時，約伯的朋友給他許多建議，雖然有些建議都不大恰當，但其中一個朋友卻很有智慧地告訴他：「你要認識上帝，就得平安；福氣也必臨到你。」(約伯記22章21節)
這聽起來很難做到，但事實上非常簡單。當你要明白神旨意的時候，你必須要做的只有一件事: 就是相信祂，得著祂的智慧，然後勇敢地順服祂的旨意。
本文版權為正直資源中心（Integrity Resource Center, Inc.）所有。本文獲得授權改編自「瑞克．博克思的正直時刻Integrity Moments with Rich Boxx」。這系列的文章是以一個基督徒的觀點評論職場的正直議題。想要更多了解正直資源中心或想要收到電子文件的「瑞克每天的正直時刻Rick”s daily Integrity Moments」系列文章，請上網www.integrityresource.org。他的書「如何生意興隆而不犧牲正直」提供人們正直地作生意的方法。
省思 / 討論題目
你覺得神的旨意對你的生涯發展、企業經營和做決定是否扮演重要的角色？ 當有人跟你說他在尋求神的旨意時，你會給他甚麼建議？ 當你聽到「尋求神旨意」時會有海底撈針的感覺嗎？或是你覺得會得到一個明確直接的回答？說明一下你的答案。 請回想你過去積極尋求神旨意的經驗，結果是否真是符合當時你的需要？備註：如果你手上有聖經，希望能知道更多和這個主題相關的經節，請參考：詩篇27篇8節、37篇4-5節、63篇1節；以賽亞書40章31節；路加福音22章42節；約翰福音7章16-18節
THE CHALLENGE OF DISCERNING GOD”S WILL
By Rick Boxx
Have you ever played the team-building exercise where someone stands behind you and challenges you to free-fall into their arms? Your willingness to trust them usually depends partly upon their strength and partly on your perception of their desire to catch you. No matter how strong they are, however, they cannot catch you if you are not willing to trust them.
Interestingly, a similar process is involved in seeking to discern God”s will for our lives and work. Many people say they want to know what God”s will is for their careers, or for their companies, but are not comfortable in taking the first step of trusting God for the result.
Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches important principles for people seeking to know God”s will for whatever circumstances they are confronting: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” So the first step is if you desire to know God”s will for your work or some other area of your life, have confidence that God is strong enough to catch you, and He desires your best. You can trust to let go and fall back into His arms.
The second step, as Proverbs 3:5 tells us, is “to lean not on your own understanding.” Admittedly this can be difficult. We want to know, to understand, what is going to happen, and how, and why. Not being able to rely on our understanding can be a frightening proposition. But that is what we are instructed to do.
If you have ever taken part in a brainstorming session, you discovered each person brings their own experiences and ideas to the table. Imagine how many ideas the Creator God can add to your career plans. In Isaiah 55:8 God declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." If we truly want to know His will, we must stop trying to “figure out” what He is doing.
Romans 12:2 instructs us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God”s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” To know God”s will for your career or a critical business decision, renew your mind and lean on His understanding – and not your own – through prayer and by studying God”s Word.
The final step in this process is something else that is difficult for many of us: “submitting everything to God.” For years I proceeded steadily toward my goal of running my own bank, and then someone offered to fund my dream job. By that time, however, through prayer, God had made it clear His plan for me was different. His desire was for me to launch a marketplace ministry. Admittedly this was a daunting, even scary, prospect for me, to leave what I was comfortable with and enter an entirely new, different realm of endeavor. Despite not knowing what the future held, I submitted to God”s will. I have had no regrets.
In reading the Old Testament book of Job, we find his friends consoling him and then offering counsel. Although Job”s friends gave him bad advice for the most part, one of them wisely told him, “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you” (Job 22:21).
As difficult as it may seem, it is also very simple: If you are trying to discern God”s will, all you have to do is trust God, gain His understanding, and then courageously submit to His plan.
Copyright 2015, 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.
Reflection/Discussion Question
For your career, or key business or workplace decisions, is knowing God”s will important to you? Why or why not? How do you respond if or when you hear someone say, “I am praying for God”s will on what I should do about…”? When you think about knowing “God”s will” about some important matter, does it seem like searching for a needle in a haystack, or do you expect to receive an answer that is direct and readily apparent? Explain your answer. Think of a time when you were actively seeking to know God”s will about a specific concern or need. What kind of response did you receive – how did you reach a conclusion about what God”s will actually was for that situation?NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Psalm 27:8, 37:4-5, 63:1; Isaiah 40:31; Luke 22:42; John 7:16-18
