「舊的要去，新的將來」。儘管對新冠病毒，俗稱COVID-19的歇斯底里減少了，但這過去的一年，仍然因為各種因素帶給我們不少壓力和焦慮。因此，當2023年到來，我們當中許多人在回顧過去的一年時，會熱情地喊出：「終於解脫了！」

什麼會讓新的一年比即將過去的一年更好呢？新年可以為我們帶來什麼呢？雖然有些事情是我們不能控制的，例如新冠肺炎大流行、經濟動盪、戰爭、颱風和其他天然災害等。但有許多事情卻是我們可以控制的，或是至少對我們的事業和生活有積極影響的。因此我們在未來一年所做的決定和選擇，將在很大程度上影響最終的結果。

一年的最後幾天，往往是評估和反省的時候：「哪些方面做對了？」、「哪些事情我/我們可以做得更好，或者根本不該再繼續做？」「我在專業上是否有大幅的進步？」「我的個人生命如何？」「今天的我是否比年初的我更好？」

你也許可以把類似的問題，添加到反省表中。如果我們不往回看太久，回顧其實是有益處的。但因為過去的事情已經過去，我們所擁有的是現在和對未來的盼望、意向和夢想。我們應該開始向前看，制定未來十二個月的計劃、目標和結果。

我們可能專注於職涯發展、開創自己的事業、擴大市場份額、增加利潤，或開發新產品線等等，這個清單似乎沒有止境。但是，我們個人的成長和發展呢？特別如果我們是基督徒，也需要周到的規劃。讓我提出一些可以從聖經點滴收集到的智慧：

與神的關係增長。當被問及所有誡命中最大的誡命時，耶穌回答說：「你要盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛主你的神」（馬可福音12章30節）你能說自己現在正在這樣做嗎？你認為這是一個有價值的目標嗎？

與他人的關係增長。在宣布了最大的誡命之後，耶穌說：「其次就是說：『要愛人如己。 』再沒有比這兩條誡命更大的了。」（馬可福音12章31節）同樣的，你在這方面做得如何？在這方面還能再做什麽改進呢？

讓基督成為你所有工作的根基。即使是宣稱有基督信仰的人，也經常把「祂」「分割」開來，讓「祂」進入「某些領域」，而不要進入其他領域。但真正的信仰，會讓基督成為我們生命中每個領域的主。「我們生活、動作、存留，都在乎他。就如你們作詩的，有人說：『我們也是他所生的。』」（使徒行傳17章28節）

尋求更好地明白和應用神的話語。我已經做到了。「聖經都是 神所默示的( – 或譯：凡 神所默示的聖經)，於教訓、督責、使人歸正、教導人學義都是有益的，叫屬 神的人得以完全，預備行各樣的善事。」（提摩太後書3章16-17節）

© 2021. Robert J. Tamasy 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之心的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書：透過苦難成長。Mike Landry. Bob的網站為www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com

備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多相關的內容，可以考慮以下的經文：

詩篇37篇3-7節
37:3 你當倚靠耶和華而行善，住在地上，以他的信實為糧；
37:4 又要以耶和華為樂，他就將你心裏所求的賜給你。
37:5 當將你的事交託耶和華，並倚靠他，他就必成全。
37:6 他要使你的公義如光發出，使你的公平明如正午。
37:7 你當默然倚靠耶和華，耐性等候他；不要因那道路通達的和那惡謀成就的心懷不平。
詩篇119篇9-11節
119:9 少年人用甚麼潔淨他的行為呢？是要遵行你的話！
119:10 我一心尋求了你；求你不要叫我偏離你的命令。
119:11 我將你的話藏在心裏，免得我得罪你。
箴言3章5-6節
3:5 你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明，
3:6 在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。
以弗所書2章10節
2:10 我們原是他的工作，在基督耶穌裏造成的，為要叫我們行善，就是上帝所預備叫我們行的。
腓立比書2章3-4節
2:3 凡事不可結黨，不可貪圖虛浮的榮耀；只要存心謙卑，各人看別人比自己強。
2:4 各人不要單顧自己的事，也要顧別人的事。
歌羅西書1章10節
1:10 好叫你們行事為人對得起主，凡事蒙他喜悅，在一切善事上結果子，漸漸地多知道上帝；

反省與問題討論

1. 你如何評價即將過去的這一年？有哪些美好的回憶與成功？或者是失敗、失望的經歷？
2. 展望新的一年，你在個人和專業方面，為自己設立了哪些重要目標？你打算如何追求這些目標呢？
3. 你認為我們與神的關係，我們對祂的信心和相信，對我們為來年制定的計劃和目標是否扮演重要的角色？請解釋你的答案。
4. 為什麼更好地明白聖經，以及如何在日常生活中應用它們，會影響我們的目標和計劃？以及影響我們如何實現這些目標呢？你可以採取哪些步驟來學習理解和實際運用聖經的教導？

PLANNING TO START THE NEW YEAR WELL

By Robert J. Tamasy

“Out with the old, and in with the new.” Even though hysteria diminished over the coronavirus – commonly known as COVID-19 – the year had many reasons for causing us stress and anxiety. So, once again when 2023 arrives, many of us will look back on the past year and shout an enthusiastic, “Good riddance!”

Which brings us to the new year. What will make it better for us than the last? Certain things are beyond our control – like pandemics, economic turmoil, wars, storms, and other natural disasters. But there are many things we can control, or at least positively affect our careers and lives in general. The decisions and choices we make during the coming year will go far in shaping how things turn out.

These last few days of the calendar year often are times for evaluation and introspection. “What went well?” “What could I/we have done better – or not at all?” “Did I make significant strides professionally? How about my private life – am I a better person today than I was when the year started?”

You can probably add similar questions to the list. There is nothing wrong with that if we do not look back for too long. Because the past is fading out of reach; what we do have is the present, along with our hopes, intentions, and dreams for the future. We should start looking ahead, formulating plans, goals, and objectives for the next 12 months.

We might focus on career advancement, building our business, growing market share, increasing profits, or developing new product lines. The list seems endless. But what about our growth and development as individuals, especially if we are followers of Jesus Christ? That requires thoughtful planning as well. Let me suggest some wisdom we can glean from the Bible about that:

Grow in relationship with God. When asked about the greatest of all commandments, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Can you say you are doing that right now? Would you consider it a worthy goal?

Grow in relationship with others. Right after declaring the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these”(Mark 12:31). Again, how well are you doing this?  What might you do to improve in this area?

Make Christ the foundation of all you do. It is common even for people who profess faith in Jesus to “compartmentalize” Him, to let Him into certain areas but not others. True faith makes Him Lord of every area of our lives. “For in [Jesus Christ] we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Seek to better understand and apply the Word of God. I did. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

© 2022. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; andThe Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. How would you assess the year that soon will be past? What were some of your greatest memories, successes – and failures or disappointments?
2. Looking ahead to the new year, what are some important goals you have established for yourself, both personally and professionally? How do you plan to pursue those?
3. Do you think that our relationship with God, our faith and trust in Him, should have a significant role in the plans and goals we establish for the coming year? Why or why not?
4. Why would having a better understanding of the Scriptures and how to apply them in our everyday lives affect our goals and plans, as well as how we go about striving to achieve those? What steps might you take to grow in learning how to comprehend and use what the Bible teaches in practical ways?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:

Psalm 37:3-7, 119:9-11; Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:3-4; Colossians 1:10

相關（靈修文章）：

• 週一嗎哪
• 讀經日引
• 荒漠甘泉
• 成語靈訓
• 真理再思
• 歲首到年終

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