牧养有错误志向的人(上篇)：错误志向的五个原因

寻找同路人

牧养有错误志向的人(上篇)：错误志向的五个原因

                                                                                               

我是个牧师，并且一生大部分时间都沉溺于工作。好像匿名戒酒会的参与者在三十年滴酒不沾后，认为自己是一个“在戒酒的酒鬼”，我也认为自己进天堂前都是一个努力戒除工作瘾症的人，因为它在我生命中如此根深蒂固。

也许你认同这一点。 或者“工作瘾症”听起来像“急性牙髓炎上瘾”那么可笑。无论是哪种，我来和你分享些牧养建议，都是从牧养我们教会（包括我本人）那些有错误志向的人中得到的经验。

注意我说的是“错误的志向”，而不是“立志过度”，因为基督徒不可能立志过度。工作在人类堕落之前就被创造了（创2:15），而且将来在天堂仍将继续（赛65:21-23）。因此使徒保罗告诉我们“要把握时机”（弗5:16）。如果这都不是志向，我不知道什么才是。（译注：和合本在弗5:16和西4:5两处都是说“要爱惜光阴”，与英文KJV的“redeeming the time”对应，新译本使用的是“要把握时机”，与本文所引的NIV圣经中的“make the most of every opportunity”更贴切。）

身为基督徒，我们被呼召向着基督立志。然而许多人的志向只是为了追求这世界上的东西。我们如何来牧养他们呢？本文我给出错误志向背后的五个根本原因，下篇文章我将给出帮助这些人避免落入陷阱的四个观点。


人为何会有错误的志向？

根本原因一：不安全感

几年前与五位财富500强公司的首席财务长官一起晚饭。其中一人说：“我有个理论想测试一下，你们当中有几人是父母离婚家中孩子里的老大？”除了一人外其余的全举手了。“对呀。因为作为一个孩子你无法摆脱感觉失败，这驱动你在事业上拼搏？”所有人都点头。

你会众中有多少超级自信的成功人士是被不安全感和恐惧感所驱使，而不是被力量驱使？不安全感可能会促使这些基督徒达到其职业生涯的高度，但也会严重阻碍他们在职场上服事基督。不安全感可以是来自破碎的家庭、昔日所受的虐待、不起眼的学历、艰难的婚姻、令人失望的孩子，或者许多其他因素。

竭力在世界上留下我们的印记可以是正确并且敬虔的。摩西就在诗篇90篇中求神坚立他手所作的工。但是竭力提升我们自己，而不是荣耀神就是自我服侍和偶像崇拜了。

根本原因二：不愿意等待

乔知道他太太和孩子们这天过得糟糕透顶，他比平常回家早了半个钟头，他也完成了当天的工作任务，那他为什么不太情愿早点下班呢？是因为他不爱他的家人？不能在结束之前离开？还是因为他害怕别人因为他走得早而看轻他？让我们假设这些都不是真正的原因。

那么为什么感到勉强呢？因为他的自我价值建立在依靠自己的能力将事情做好的上面。所以提前三十分钟下班感觉好像否定了他对自己的认同。他想用生命完成事情——这是个好的本能。事实上，这是创世记1-2章里神对人类计划的一部分。然而当他将生命中的某个呼召（他的工作）置于神给他的其他呼召（他的家庭）之上时，他对神的计划表现出了不耐烦。他像扫罗王那样等不及先知撒母耳来向耶和华献那极重要的祭。扫罗的目标（击败神的敌人）是对的。但是他不信靠神的计划去完成，而是施行自己的计划。

同样，许多错误的志向来自于人试图通过自己的智慧，而非神的计划来成就好的事情（在这个世界发挥作用）。我们牺牲其它而痴迷于工作，因为我们不愿相信，获得我们所渴望的永恒益处的最佳方法，是在所有领受的呼召上顺服神的命令。神的计划经常似乎是迂回又低效的——但是在他的智慧里，他真正知道什么是最好的道路

根本原因三：经济上的恐惧

有时错误的志向与身份认同、自我实现或任何其他存在的欲望都无关，而仅仅是金钱的原因。

罗恩之前是个区域销售经理，在他失业之前，他买了一个房子，并且达到了他预算的上限。现在他在另一个领域找到了一份工作，他感到业绩压力巨大，否则他的家人就得失去那房子，这也会导致孩子们不能在好的学区就读，失去邻居多年的友谊，以及他们非常享受的生活方式。

最可能的是，他在工作中感受到的的压力与家人的生活息息相关，好像每件事情都需要钱来解决。脑海中不禁浮想起保罗对提摩太的话：“然而，敬虔加上知足的心便是大利了，因为我们没有带甚么到世上来，也不能带甚么去，只要有衣有食，就当知足。”（提前6:6-8）


根本原因四：逃避


你已经努力劝说玛丽更多地委身小组，可她对工作的追求总是来挡道。然而当你多了解玛丽的家庭生活，你会难过地，逐渐发现她投入工作的原因。婚姻触礁，孩子们也令人蒙羞——可在职场上她是个英雄。一次又一次地调查表明，当代的美国人认为，他们在职场上的主要动力是被认可——不仅是金钱、不仅是职业晋升、不仅是优秀的同事。

如果工作是玛丽唯一觉得自己被认可的地方呢？如果工作是玛丽唯一觉得她配得认可的地方呢？

根本原因五：没有好榜样

哈维尔跟着他父亲长大，他父作为地方检察官对他们的城市有很大的贡献，哈维尔决心子承父业。然而和他父亲不同，哈维尔没有法律方面天赋，所以他取得工作成功的唯一方式，是将工作当成他生活中的唯一要事。另外他身边的基督徒和他完全一样——或者至少看上去一样。

整形外科医生、车行老板、法官、房地产巨头，他教会里的长老们和其他领袖们似乎都实现了哈维尔期待的属世和属灵里的双重“成功”。但哈维尔不知道的是，这些教会领袖不像他那样允许工作束缚他们生活的其他部分。他缺乏好的榜样。他很少看到有平凡能力的人在他的教会里被看作“成功”。他需要了解那些公认为基督徒领袖的生命究竟是怎么样的。

编者的话：现在我们了解了错误志向的五个根本原因，下篇文章会分享对于这个问题，在牧养上的的4个方面。




Pastoring the Wrongly Ambitious

I am a pastor, and I am addicted to work—just as I have been for most of my life. Like the participant at Alcoholics Anonymous who considers himself a “recovering alcoholic” after thirty years without a drop of booze, I will consider myself a recovering work addict until the day I reach heaven, because it is so ingrained in my flesh.

Perhaps you identify with this. Or perhaps “addicted to work” sounds as preposterous to you as “addicted to root canals.” Either way, let me share with you some advice from my experience pastoring those in my church (including myself) who are wrongly ambitious.

Notice that I said “wrongly ambitious” and not “overambitious.” That’s because for the Christian it is impossible to be overambitious. Work was created before the Fall (Gen. 2:15) and will continue on into heaven (Isa. 65:21-23). And so the apostle Paul tells us to “make the most of every opportunity” (Eph. 5:16). If that’s not ambition, I don’t know what is.

As Christians, we are called to be ambitious for Christ. And yet many seem ambitious only for the things of this world. How do we pastor them? I will give you five root causes behind wrongheaded ambition, and four ideas of how to help those who have fallen into these traps.


WHY DO PEOPLE BECOME WRONGLY AMBITIOUS?

Why do people become wrongly ambitious?

Root Cause #1: Insecurity

Let me describe a dinner conversation several years ago with five CFOs of Fortune-500 companies. “I’ve got a theory I want to test,” said one of them. “How many of you are the oldest child of divorced parents?” Every hand went up but one. “Right. Driven in your career because you can’t shake your perceived failure as a child?” All heads nod.

How many of the uber-confident, successful overachievers in your congregation are driven out of insecurity and fear rather than strength? Insecurity may well propel these Christians to the heights of their profession, but it will severely hinder their ability to serve Christ in their profession. Insecurity can stem from a broken home, past abuse, an unimpressive education, a struggling marriage, disappointing children, or a host of other factors.

Striving to make our mark on the world can be right and godly. Think of Moses’ asking God to establish the work of his hands in Psalm 90. But striving to promote ourselves rather than God is self-serving and idolatrous.

Root Cause #2: Impatience

Joe knows his wife has had a terrible day with the kids; it’s thirty minutes before he would normally go home; and he’s accomplished everything on his to-do list. So why does he feel so reluctant to leave early? Is it because he doesn’t love his family? Is it because he’s not allowed to leave before closing or because he’s afraid people will think less of him for leaving early? Let’s assume the answer to all these is “no.” So why the reluctance? Because his self-worth is wrapped up in his ability to get things done. And so leaving thirty minutes early feels like a denial of his basic identity. He wants to accomplish things with his life—which is a good instinct. In fact, it was part of God’s plan for humanity in Genesis 1-2. But when, in search of that impact, he elevates one particular calling in life (his job) above others that God has given (his family), he shows himself to be impatient with God’s plans. He’s like King Saul who couldn’t wait for the prophet Samuel to make an all-important sacrifice to the Lord. Saul’s goal (defeating God’s enemies) was right on. But instead of trusting God’s plan to get there, he went with his own plan instead.

Similarly, much wrongheaded ambition comes from trying to achieve something good (impact on this world) through human wisdom rather than God’s good plan. We become obsessed with a job at the expense of other things because we’re not willing to trust that obeying God’s commands across all of our callings is the best way to achieve the eternal impact we desire. God’s plans often seem circuitous and inefficient—but in his wisdom he really does know best.

Root Cause #3: Financial Fear

Sometimes wrongheaded ambition has nothing to do with identity, self-actualization, or any other existential desire, but is merely about money.

Ron bought a house that was on the upper end of his budget—and that was before he lost his job as a regional sales manager. Now that he’s found work in a different field, he feels intense pressure to perform or else his family will lose the house, which would also involve leaving a great school district, years of friendship with neighbors, and a lifestyle they’ve come to enjoy.

Most likely, the level of stress he feels at work is echoed through his family’s life, as everything seems to be about having enough money. Paul’s words to Timothy come to mind: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Tim. 6:6-8).

Root Cause #4: Escape

You’ve been trying to convince Mary to get more involved with her small group, but work commitments always get in the way. Yet as you learn more about Mary’s family life, the reason for her interest in work comes sadly into focus. Her marriage is on the rocks and her kids seem to be a disgrace—but at work she’s a hero. In survey after survey, modern Americans say that their main motivator in the workplace is recognition—more than money, more than career advancement, more than great coworkers.

What if her job is the only place where Mary feels she gets recognition? What if her job is the only place where Mary feels she deserves recognition?

Root Cause #5: No Good Models

Javier grew up with a father who greatly blessed their city through his work as district attorney, and Javier is determined to follow in those footsteps. Unlike his father, however, Javier wasn’t blessed with a natural mind for the law, and so the only way he is succeeding at work is by making it the only thing that matters in his life. Beyond that, all of the other Christians in his life are exactly the same—or at least appear that way. Orthopedic surgeon, car dealership owner, judge, real estate magnate: the elders and other leaders in his church all seem to fulfill Javier’s vision for worldly and spiritual “success.” What Javier doesn’t know is that none of these church leaders allow their jobs to put a stranglehold on the rest of life like he does. His problem is a lack of models. He sees few examples of people with ordinary ability who are viewed as “successful” in his local church. And he lacks a window into the lives of those who have been recognized as Christian leaders.

作者：Jamie Dunlop

Jamie Dunlop是国会山浸信会的牧师，负责教会行政管理和直属机构的运作。

翻译肢体：张金星

来自群组: 金灯台团契分享组

寻找同路人

   牧养有错误志向的人（下）：如何帮助这些人

                                                                                             

             编者的话：上篇文章我们给出了错误志向背后的五个原因牧养有错误志向的人(上篇)：错误志向的五个原因，这篇文章我将给出帮助这些人避免落入陷阱的四个观点。


四个牧养的回应

现在，阅读了错误志向背后的五个根本原因，关于如何牧养这些被错误志向困扰的教会成员，你应该有自己的想法。但我可以添加几个根据我自己和其他人的经验总结的四个牧养方法。

回应1：鼓励对薪水满足

这个想法很容易被误会。但在21世纪工业社会中，人们就业首先是为了被认可和自我实现，而不是为了赚钱糊口（参考上篇文章中的原因1和2）。对基督徒来说这是个问题，因为在圣经里我们找不到经文说自我实现是工作的动机。反倒是我们看到，工作首先是供应生活，并且让我们能够慷慨（弗4:28）。藉着神的恩典，工作能成就的还有更多：它能让我们反映出创世记1:27中神的形象，如提多书2:10所说的尊荣神的道，以及传道书2:24-25中的提供享福。这些我们工作的动机也是我们生命中其他呼召的动机：作为一个丈夫或妻子、父亲或母亲、公民、教会成员、传道人等等。对就业而言，唯一独特的动机在于经济上的报酬，所以帮助你的会众明白为金钱工作的美好。

在你教会里，那些有错误志向的人满足于他们工作而获得收入吗？还是他们要通过工作中的地位或意义得到满足？或者，换个方式来问这个问题，对工作的不满是因为没有地位或意义吗？如果大多数有错误志向的人视薪水为工作的重要推动力，他们会被帮助到。如果他们视金钱为从神而来的管理职分——视花钱为享受作为管家的职分——那么金钱可以成为明智又敬虔的工作动机。

当然，如果他们自随己意使用金钱，从而越来越少地依靠神（参考上篇文章的原因4），则会适得其反。如果你教导人们以属神的眼光看待金钱，并教他们无论工资多高多低，对工资的满足感是敬虔的，你就会帮助有错误志向的人将其工作动机从偶像崇拜转向到尊荣神上来。


回应2：教导什么才是有价值的——并且挑战——关于追求卓越

通常一个怀有错误志向的人对工作态度有错误的想法——在工作中追求卓越（参见上篇文章中的原因1和4）。比起告诉人们不该做什么，我们更需要帮助他们理解什么是神眼中的卓越。歌罗西书3:23告诉我们工作是“像是给主作的”。换言之，无论你在地上的老板是谁，耶稣基督才是你真正的老板。你地上的老板只是分配给工作上的任务，而耶稣确实要你整个生命跟随他。

错误的卓越观使人的生命只关注在工作上的最优化。这使得对“卓越”的敬虔追求变成了人的完美主义追求。然而一旦人们明白了耶稣是他们真正的老板，就会发生两件事。首先，追求卓越成为对神的敬拜，这是正确地回应基督是谁和他的所做。第二，工作上对卓越的追求也延伸到神安排的其他处境中。当你按照圣经教导关于卓越的内容时，那些在现今职场中大行其道的虚假卓越概念就会被取代。


回应3：强调敬虔志向的榜样

“志向”不该在会众中是一个禁忌词。毕竟，使徒保罗在《罗马书》15:20中使用“志向”一词的希腊语来形容他传福音的心愿。当你面对会众中一个有错误志向的成员时，你不该打消他们的志向，而是对其进行重新导向（见上篇文章中的原因3和5）。但是如果你的会众所能看到的“心志高远的人”，只有那些错误地将志向投入在职场上的人，他们就会很难在基督里立心志。

如果有机会，那就向会众介绍那些立定心志为神国而活的人，并且他们向着基督的心志在职场中有了收获。此外，也介绍那些为神的国立定志向，但在职场从事普通职业的人。两种类型的例子都可以发挥功效。忽略第一类，你就会暗示：职场中没有属灵的价值。忽略第二类，你就在传达：只有“成功”人士需要服侍基督。


回应4：宣扬围绕会众建立的生命价值

如果信徒可以在其成年时期只是选择一两个教会并委身其中，他们大多数会更好地被神使用（见上篇文章中的2号和5号原因）。当然，也有例外，但通常大多数都不例外。我们在地方教会中建立的关系性的事工不是此生中永恒价值的唯一事物，而是我们能为永恒建立的首要方式之一。如果你宣讲这个事实，你就会很好地帮助到有错误志向的人。

你如何做呢？通常首先鼓励人们安排好自己的生活，好使他们在教会中有重要的关系性事工。这不是说他们要参加一堆的教会活动，而是说他们要考虑住在哪儿，做什么工作和建立怎样的休闲习惯，好使他们能更好地融入到教会关系中。

其次，教导那些与地方教会成员的时间有冲突的事物的属灵价值。我的工作有什么永恒的价值？通过事工，我为家庭建立了什么永恒价值？度假的永恒价值是什么？如果人们不能和你清楚表达他们在生活的其他领域所实现的益处，他们在那些似乎与地方教会竞争时间和感情的事物上将难以做出明智的权衡。正如我上面提到的，神关于我们如何能最好地度过一生的计划往往看上去又迂回，还违反直觉，而且他关于我们大量投资于地方教会的计划就是个很好的例子。帮助人们信靠神的计划并告诉他们这么做的意义。


敬畏感

最后，牧师请记住：受薪的基督徒工作没什么特别的，这防止你在自己的生活中产生错误的志向。事实上，因为牧师所做的工作有明显的属灵价值，你可能实际上特别容易被错误的志向引导。因此，我写了本文，好使其中的一切也适用于你，就像适用于你教会里的任何人一样。

所以，给你和你的会众最后的一个建议：尽一切努力使人惊叹于神。惊叹于神使我们在永恒意义中敬拜他（上篇文章中原因1）。惊叹于神帮助我们信靠他的信实，即使他的计划按照世界的标准看起来很奇怪（上篇文章中原因2）。惊叹于神提醒我们这个世界给我们的安慰只不过转瞬即逝，而真正永恒的祝福即将到来（上篇文章中原因3）。惊叹于神给我们的盼望，即使环境艰苦我们也能服侍他，不需要逃避（上篇文章中原因4）。惊叹于神打开我们的眼睛，看清最忠心仆人的价值，无论是教会历史中的巨人，还是步履蹒跚走到后排长椅处那身体虚弱的祷告勇士（上篇文章中原因5）。

求主帮助你使你的会众有心志来服侍这位神，有心志来使用好每一个小时、每一元钱和每一个机会使人知道他的名。


FOUR PASTORAL RESPONSES

Now, having read through these five root causes, you undoubtedly have your own ideas of how you might pastor these various church members who suffer from wrongheaded ambition. But perhaps I can add to your list of potential responses. Here are four pastoral responses from my own experience and the experience of others.

Response #1: Encourage Satisfaction in a Paycheck

This idea could be easily misunderstood. But in 21st-century industrialized societies, recognition and self-actualization have replaced money as the primary motivation for employment in our society (see root causes 1 and 2 above). This is a problem for the Christian because nowhere in the Bible do we find self-actualization as a motivation for work. Instead, we see that work exists primarily to put food on the table and to allow us to be generous (Eph. 4:28). By God’s grace work can accomplish much more than that: it allows us to image God in Genesis 1:27, adorn the gospel in Titus 2:10, and provide enjoyment in Ecclesiastes 2:24-25. But all these motivations are also true of every other calling we have in life: being a husband or wife, a father or mother, a citizen, a church member, an evangelist, and so on. The only motivation that is truly unique to employment is financial compensation. So help your congregation come to learn the wonderful satisfaction of working for money.

Do the wrongly ambitious in your church take satisfaction in their paycheck? Or is their satisfaction primarily from other perceived benefits of their job such as status or a sense of significance? Or, to put the question another way, does discontent with work stem from a lack of status or significance? Most of the wrongly ambitious would be helped if they saw their paycheck as a more significant motivation for why they work. If they view money as a stewardship from God—and the enjoyment of money as the enjoyment of stewardship—then money can become a wise and godly motivator in the workplace.

Of course, if they use money selfishly in an attempt to reduce dependence on God (see root cause #4 above), the opposite will happen. But if you give your people a godly vision for money, and teach them that it is godly to take satisfaction in their paycheck (no matter how big or how small), you will help the wrongly ambitious shift their motivation in the workplace from what is idolatrous to what honors God.

Useful book: Managing God’s Money by Randy Alcorn
See also: the Capitol Hill Baptist Church adult Sunday School manuscripts for a five week class on money.

Response #2: Teach on what is valuable—and challenging—about pursuing excellence

Often, a wrongly ambitious attitude toward work is wrapped up with a wrong idea of pursuing excellence at work (see root causes 1 and 4 above). But rather than simply telling people what not to do, we need to help them understand what a right view of excellence is. In Colossians 3:23 we are told to work “as for the Lord.” In other words, no matter who your earthly boss is, behind that man or woman stands Jesus Christ, your true boss. And while your earthly boss has only given you assignments related to the workplace, Jesus has given you assignments related to all of life.

A wrong view of excellence optimizes life for only one assignment: the assignment of the workplace. This is how a godly desire for “excellence” leads to the ungodly obsession that we call “perfectionism.” But once people grasp that Jesus is their real boss, two things happen. First, a pursuit of excellence becomes an act of worship: a right response to who Christ is and what he has done. Second, a pursuit of excellence in the workplace is placed in the context of all the other assignments Christ has given, which extend far beyond the workplace. As you teach on the biblical foundation for excellence, you will displace the counterfeit concepts of excellence that are so prevalent in today’s workplace.

Useful book: God at Work by Gene Veith
See also: the Capitol Hill Baptist Church adult Sunday School manuscripts for a six week class on Christians in the workplace.

Response #3: Highlight examples of godly ambition

“Ambition” should not be a dirty word in your congregation. After all, the apostle Paul uses the translated Greek word for “ambition” to describe his desire to preach the gospel in Romans 15:20. When faced with a wrongly-ambitious member of your congregation, your desire should never be to scale back their ambition but to redirect it (see root causes 3 and 5 above). But if the only examples of “ambitious people” your congregation sees are those who are wrongly ambitious in their careers, they will struggle to be ambitious as Christ intends them to be.

As you have opportunity, then, highlight as examples to your congregation those members who are ambitious for God’s kingdom and whose ambition for Christ has resulted in success in the workplace. In addition, highlight those members who are ambitious for God’s kingdom but have decidedly normal careers in the workplace. Both types of examples can be useful in their own way. Neglect the first category and you’re suggesting that there is no spiritual value to be found in the workplace. Neglect the second and you communicate that only “successful” people need apply for service to Christ.

Useful book: Rescuing Ambition by Dave Harvey.

Response #4: Advertise the value of a life built around the congregation

Most Christians will make better use of their lives for the kingdom of God if they pick just one or two churches through their adult lives and stick with them (see root causes #2 and 5 above). Of course, there are exceptions to this. But as a rule, most people are not the exception. The relational ministry we build in the local church is not the only thing of eternal value in this life, but it is one of the primary ways that we can build for eternity. You will serve the wrongly-ambitious well if you advertise this fact.

How can you do this? First, generally, encourage people to structure their lives so that they can have a vital relational ministry in the church. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they sign up for a bunch of church programs. It does mean that they think about where they live and what kind of job they hold and what kind of leisure habits they develop in light of how well they can be invested in relationships at church.

Second, teach on the spiritual value of those things that compete with the local church for members’ time. What is the eternal value of what I do at my job? What is the eternal value I’m building through ministry to my family? What is the eternal value of a vacation? If your people cannot articulate the good they are accomplishing in those other spheres of life, they will have a difficult time making wise tradeoffs when those things seem to compete with the local church for their time and affection. As I mentioned above, God’s plans for how we can best spend our lives often seem circuitous and counter-intuitive, and his plan that we invest heavily in the local church is a prime example of that. Help your people trust God’s plan and show them what it means to do this well.

Useful book: The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne.

A SENSE OF AWE

Finally, pastor, remember that there is nothing special about paid Christian work that protects you from being wrongly ambitious in your own life. In fact, because of the obvious spiritual value of what you do, as a pastor you may in fact be especially susceptible to being wrongly directed in your ambitions. Accordingly, I’ve written this article so that everything in it applies to you just as much as to anyone else in your church.

So, one final piece of advice, both for you and your congregation: make every effort to cultivate amazement at who God is. A sense of awe at who God is invests our lives as worshippers with eternal significance (root cause 1). A sense of awe at who God is helps us trust his plans for faithfulness even when they seem strange by the world’s standards (root cause 2). A sense of awe at who God is reminds us that the comforts of this world are merely passing, but real and eternal blessing is at hand (root cause 3). A sense of awe at who God is gives us hope that we can serve him in even difficult circumstances, obviating the need for escape (root cause 4). And a sense of awe at who God is opens our eyes to the value of his most faithful servants, be they giants of church history or the frail prayer warrior shuffling into the back pew (root cause 5).

My prayer is that you will help fuel your congregation’s ambition to serve this God and to make him known with every hour and dollar and opportunity at their disposal.

作者：Jamie Dunlop

Jamie Dunlop是国会山浸信会的牧师，负责教会行政管理和直属机构的运作。

翻译肢体：张金星