Wednesday, October 9, 2024

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葡萄樹傳媒

職業生涯的衛星導航系統?—A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR CAREERS?


雖然我出生在德國,但一直到1997年我才第一次回歐洲。我的叔叔和嬸嬸已多次旅行歐洲大陸,他們就擔任我的嚮導,帶我去匈牙利、奧地利、捷克與德國。最後我們到達風景如畫的羅騰堡,在那裡我們參加了基督徒工商人員協會的年會。

在我們旅行中,我們多次走錯路,而且是走了好幾公里後才發現自己走錯路。我們車內的指南針雖有幫助,但若有人告訴我們在何處應轉彎就更好了。

今天許多汽車都裝了衛星導航系統,手機也有類似的功能。就我所了解,這是將信號發射到繞著地球運轉的人造衛星上,人造衛星就把資訊發送給需要的人。簡單地說,這就是來自天上的引導。有些人已非常習慣使用衛星導航系統,他們甚至懷疑在此系統發明之前自己如何開車。

若有人發明一個職業生涯或做重要商業決定的衛星導航系統,會如何呢?當我們看到現在全球經濟的苦況,就會認為若有一套工商專業界的衛星導航系統,一定可以幫助那些企業領袖們不做出「錯誤的轉彎」。

實際上,這樣的衛星導航系統確實存在。但你無法在電子器材店買到。汽車製造商也無法安裝在你的車上。

聖經舊約有一節經文說:「我是在地上作寄居的;求你不要向我隱瞞你的命令!」(詩篇119篇19節)。我的朋友卡門.沃夫最近觀察到:當我們去一個不熟悉的地區,我們倚靠衛星導航系統得到從天上來的資訊。但在人造衛星和衛星導航系統尚未發明之前,詩篇的作者就了解自己需要「來自天上的引導」,而那引導的來源是上帝。祂是最好的衛星導航系統,一天24小時待命,全年無休,也不需電子連線。

聖經中其他的經文也說了類似的話,應許上帝的引導,只要我們願意接受:

相信上帝所顯示的真理。在黑暗中行駛時,我們倚靠汽車的頭燈照亮前面的道路。同樣的,上帝也應許光照我們每天工作和生活中的旅程。「我藉著你的訓詞得以明白,所以我恨一切的假道。你的話是我腳前的燈,是我路上的光」(詩篇119篇104-105節)。

信靠上帝的指引。就如同我們相信衛星導航系統的指引,我們也必須相信上帝的指引,雖然我們有時不了解祂為何那樣指引。「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」(箴言3章5-6節)。

倚賴上帝的重新定位。我們必須承認自己所做的決定不都是正確的,我們的心要敞開接受上帝的提醒,改變我們的路徑--即使要我們立刻停止,或180度轉向。「人心籌算自己的道路;惟耶和華指引他的腳步」(箴言16章9節)。

思想 / 討論題目

  1. 請描述你第一次使用衛星導航系統的狀況。那系統是否很有幫助?你是否常常使用?你是否習慣使用它,若沒有它,你開起車來會很困難嗎?
  2. 你有時是否希望可以買到一種衛星導航系統,在每天的工作中一步一步引導你?
  3. 在做重大的商業決定時,你是否曾清楚地接收到「從天上來的指引」?請解釋。
  4. 若上帝確實能對你的職業生涯提供實際、有用的智慧指引,有哪些有效的方法能接收到祂的訊息?

註:若你有聖經且想要看有關此主題的其他經文,請看:
詩篇23篇1-4節;箴言16章1-3節,21章2節;以賽亞書58章11節;路加福音1章78-79節;約翰福音16章13節

承蒙〔CBMC〕授權轉載


A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR CAREERS?

By: Robert J. Tamasy

Although I was born in Germany, the first time I had been back to Europe was in 1997. My aunt and uncle, who had traveled the continent on several occasions, served as tour guides as we worked our way through parts of Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany, finally reaching our destination, the picturesque city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where we attended a CBMC convention.

On several occasions during our travels we found ourselves headed in a wrong direction and would wind up going several kilometers out of our way before discovering our error in navigation. Our in-car compass was helpful, but it would have been better to have someone – or something – to help us in making the correct turns.

Today, of course, many vehicles are equipped with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and similar tracking assistance is available on mobile phones. As I understand it, signals are beamed up to a satellite orbiting above the earth, and information is sent from the satellite to the person needing it. Literally, it provides guidance from on high. Some people already have become so accustomed to using their GPS devices that they wonder how they ever survived before they were invented.

What if someone were to develop a GPS device for career guidance, or for making important business decisions? As we observe the plight of the global economy, a GPS for the business and professional world certainly would have been valuable for avoiding some of the serious “wrong turns” that corporate leaders have made.

Actually, such a GPS resource does exist, although you cannot buy it at your local electronics or office supply store, and automotive manufacturers cannot install it in your vehicle.

A verse in the Bible”s Old Testament reads, “I am a foreigner here on earth; I need the guidance of your commands. Do not hide them from me!” (Psalm 119:19, New Living Translation). My friend Carman Wolf recently observed, “Today, when we are in unfamiliar – foreign – territory, many people depend on their GPS to get information from on high. But long before satellites and GPS systems, the writer of this psalm realized he needed “guidance from on high” and that the source of that guidance is God. He is the finest GPS system of all, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and no electrical connection is needed.”

Other passages in the Bible make similar statements, assuring us of God”s guidance if we are willing to receive it:

Believing in God”s revealed truth. Driving in the dark, we rely on the car”s headlights to illuminate the way we are going. In a similar way, God has promised to light the way as we proceed on our daily journey of work and living. “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:104-105).

Trusting in God”s direction. Just as we place our confidence in the direction of a GPS system, we must trust in direction God provides, even if we do not understand it. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Relying on God”s redirection. We must be willing to acknowledge that decisions we make will not always be right, and open to God”s prompting to alter the course we have taken – even make a sudden stop or 180-degree turn if necessary. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. A veteran of 38 years in professional journalism, he is the author of Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace and has coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring: 10 Proven Principles for Developing People to Their Fullest Potential. For more information, see www.leaderslegacy.com or www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Describe the first time you ever used a GPS system in a vehicle you were traveling in. How helpful was it – and how regularly do you rely on GPS navigation now? Have you become so accustomed to using it that you have difficulty traveling without it?

2. Do you sometimes wish, as you go about your everyday work responsibilities, that you could buy a GPS device to guide your actions step by step?

3. Can you think of any times when you felt you had clearly received “guidance from on high” regarding critical business decisions? Explain your answer.

4. If God can indeed provide practical, useful wisdom and direction for our careers, what might be some effective ways of obtaining that information from Him?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to review some other passages that relate to this topic, consider the following verses:

Psalm 23:1-4; Proverbs 16:1-3, 21:2; Isaiah 58:11; Luke 1:78-79; John 16:13


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