回到工作的基礎
2025年7月21日By Robert J. Tamasy
回到工作的基礎
GETTING BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WORK
文斯·隆巴迪(Vince Lombardi)是美國職業橄欖球界的傳奇教練,曾經帶領綠灣包裝工隊(Green Bay Packers)贏得五次冠軍。他擁有作為教練的高超專業知識,但是他始終遵循的一項原則是:永遠不要忘記基本功。在每個新賽季的首次練習前,隆巴迪總會舉起手中的一個物體說:「各位,這是一顆橄欖球。」
他的球員當然知道橄欖球是什麼。他們早已在這項運動中投入多年。但是隆巴迪明白「永遠不要忘記基本功」的重要性,這就像是鋼琴大師已經舉行過很多年的演奏會後,依然持續練習音階一樣。
與此相仿,對於我們這些在商業和專業領域,蒙召服事耶穌基督的人來說,我們也應該時不時停下來,審視並且提醒自己「基本功」-也就是我們每天在職場上所做一切的「為什麼」。我們進入下半年之際,以下是一些適用於在職場上打拼的我們的聖經原則:
我們最終是為誰工作。我們上班時通常都會希望,能夠取悅並打動主管、經理、執行長或是公司老闆。但我們被教導的工作態度是,老闆的辦公室門牌上寫著「耶穌基督」。「無論做甚麼,都要從心裏做,像是給主做的,不是給人做的,因你們知道從主那裏必得着基業為賞賜……」(歌羅西書3章23-24節)
我們工作的品質。想想看神在設計我們的世界時,那無比精緻的細節。神工作的奇妙與美麗難以言喻。如果神在祂的工作中展現如此卓越的品質,身為照著神形象的受造者,我們豈不也應該努力追求同樣的卓越嗎?「神就照着自己的形像造人,乃是照着他的形像造男造女。」(創世記1章27節)。「無論做甚麼,或說話或行事,都要奉主耶穌的名,藉着他感謝父神。」(歌羅西書3章17節)
我們工作的意義。在神對這個世界的永恆計畫中,祂為我們每個人都設計了獨特的恩賜、才華和能力。所有這一切都是為了榮耀神,並且反映神的品格。「我們原是他的工作,在基督耶穌裏造成的,為要叫我們行善,就是神所預備叫我們行的。」(以弗所書2章10節)。「我要稱謝你,因我受造,奇妙可畏;你的作為奇妙,這是我心深知道的。」(詩篇 139篇14節)
接受工作的完整裝備。教育和培訓或許能幫助我們勝任特定的工作職責,但是我們在工作中應該如何行事的「指導手冊」,則是神的話語:聖經。「聖經都是神所默示的,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)
我們真正代表的對象。當我們受雇於某家公司或組織時,我們被期待能夠妥善代表我們的雇主。然而,最終,身為基督徒,我們是要代表神,向我們遇到的每個人傳達福音,那救贖、轉化生命的訊息。「所以,我們作基督的使者,就好像神藉我們勸你們一般。我們替基督求你們與神和好。」(哥林多後書5章20節)
© 2025。 Robert J. Tamasy 著有《職場大使:CBMC福音與門徒訓練使命的延續》、《卓越商道:現代職場中的箴言智慧》、與 Ken Johnson 合著的《以牧者心志追求人生》,以及與 David A. Stoddard 合著的《導師之心》。Bob 的雙週部落格為:www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com。
反省與問題討論
第一、你今天為什麼要起床準備上班呢?是為了賺錢付帳單嗎?為了爭取升遷嗎?還是為了 做你喜歡的事情呢?你起床時曾經有過「我今天要為神工作」這樣的想法嗎?請解釋你的答案。
第二、如果有的話,你多常審視你做事情的基本功或是基礎呢?無論是工作技能、組織的使 命,還是在你喜愛的嗜好中,表現出色所需的條件呢?定期這麼做,會有什麼益處呢?
第三、你能想到其他對於日常工作職責有用的聖經原則嗎?如果能夠的話,請討論其中的一 兩項。
第四、如果我們每天都有意識地以「神的僕人與代表」的角度來處理工作,會帶來什麼樣的 差異呢?
挑戰思考
根據聖經的教導來看待我們的生命與工作,許多人稱此為「聖經世界觀」。你認為你目前的世界觀和工作方式,是否有反映出聖經的原則呢?如果不是,你會如何嘗試改變呢?或者你認為哪些方面可能會需要改進呢?本週,請考慮撥出時間與值得信賴的朋友、導師或分會成員討論這個話題,親身體驗箴言27章17節的原則:「鐵磨鐵,磨出刃來;朋友相感也是如此。」
備註:如果你有聖經,想閱讀更多相關的內容,請參考以下的經文 :
箴言22章29節
22:29 你看見辦事殷勤的人嗎?他必站在君王面前,必不站在下賤人面前。
傳道書2章24-25節
2:24 人莫強如吃喝,且在勞碌中享福,我看這也是出於神的手。
2:25 論到吃用、享福,誰能勝過我呢?
哥林多前書3章9節
3:9 因為我們是與神同工的;你們是神所耕種的田地,所建造的房屋。
以弗所書3章20節
3:20神能照着運行在我們心裏的大力充充足足地成就一切,超過我們所求所想的。
以弗所書4章12節
4:12 為要成全聖徒,各盡其職,建立基督的身體。
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GETTING BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WORK
MONDAY MANNAJUL 21, 2025
GETTING BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WORK
By Robert J. Tamasy
Vince Lombardi was a legendary coach in American professional football, leading the Green Bay Packers to five championships. He possessed great expertise as a coach, but one principle he always followed was to never forget the basics. Prior to the first practice of every new season, Lombardi would always raise an object in his hand and say, “Men, this is a football.”
His players knew what a football was. They had already spent many years participating in the sport. But Lombardi understood the importance of never losing sight of the fundamentals, much as a virtuoso pianist continues to practice scales on the keyboard after many years of concert performances.
In a similar way, for those of us who are called to serve Jesus Christ in the business and professional world, we too should pause from time to time to review and remind ourselves of “the basics” – the ‘why’ of what we do every day in the marketplace. As we enter the second half of the calendar year, here are some of the biblical principles that apply to all of us engaged in the marketplace:
Whom we ultimately work for. We typically go to work hoping to please and impress our supervisor, manager, CEO, or owner of the company. But we’re told to work as if the nameplate in the boss’s office reads, ‘Jesus Christ.’ “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Quality of our work. Consider the exquisite detail in which God has designed our world. The wonder and beauty of His work are beyond description. If the Lord demonstrates such excellence in His work, should we not strive to pursue the same excellence as His image-bearers? “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Our purpose in work. In God’s eternal plan for this world, He has designed each of us with unique gifts, talents and abilities. All are intended to bring Him honor and reflect His character. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:).
Fully equipped for our work. Education and training may prepare us to carry out specific job responsibilities, but our ‘guidebook’ for how we are to go about our work is God’s Word, the Bible. “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).
Who we truly represent. When hired by a company or an organization, we are expected to properly represent our employer. Ultimately, however, as followers of Christ we are to represent the Lord, communicating the saving, life-transforming message of the Gospel to anyone and everyone we encounter. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
© 2025. 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; and The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
1. When you got up this morning to get ready for work, why were you doing it? To earn money to pay the bills; work toward a promotion; engage in something you enjoy doing? Have you ever awakened with the idea, ‘I am going to work for God’? Explain your answer.
2. How often – if ever – do you review the basics, the fundamentals of what you are doing, whether it involves your working skills, your organization’s mission, or what it requires to excel at a favorite pastime? What might be some benefits of doing that periodically?
3. Can you think of other principles from the Bible that you have found useful in your everyday work responsibilities? If so, discuss one or two of them.
4. What difference does it make whether we consciously approach our work each day from a perspective of being God’s servants and representatives?
Challenge for This Week
Perceiving our lives and work from the teachings of the Bible is what many people term a “biblical worldview.” Do you think your current worldview and approach to work reflect the principles from the Scriptures? If not, how might you try to change that? Or what areas do you think might need some improvement?
This week, consider setting aside time to discuss this with a trusted friend, mentor, or small group of people, seeing in action the principle from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
NOTE:
For more about what the Bible says, consider the following passages:
Proverbs 22:29; Ecclesiastes 2:24-25; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Ephesians 3:20, 4:12
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