週一嗎哪
服事全球工商界
2007.4.16

投資人際關係

今日職場上的科技與高效率帶來許多好處，但它們也造成的一些嚴重的後果。例如，當我們要因應如浪潮而來的電子郵件、語音留言、工作上愈來愈多的責任，我們發展並維持長期友誼的能力似乎面臨更大的挑戰。

在工商專業界的許多人，包括我自己，都在時間管理和如何設定優先順序上受到良好的訓練，使我們在工作上更有效率。這可以增加我們個人的生產力，使我們每天可做更多的事。但我擔心這些愈來愈多的工作量會影響我們長期的人際關係。

當我們不斷追求成功時，有一個常被忘記的因素是：通常是透過人們的共同努力，分享他們個別不同的天份與技巧，去完成一個共同的使命，才能達到成功與勝利。我最親密的朋友都會在我最需要他們的時候來幫助我。但我們忙碌的行程使我們很難去培養這些寶貴的友誼。因為如此，我有時在想，將來在我喪禮的那天，來參加的人可能只有那些覺得有義務要參加的人，而不是與我有深厚感情的人。

在聖經新約中的路加福音第10章，有一段有名的事件。有一次，耶穌拜訪馬大和馬利亞兩姊妹的家。馬大是個完美主義者，她花許多時間殷勤地為耶穌和祂的朋友們準備一頓飯。而她的妹妹馬利亞卻坐在耶穌的腳旁，將寶貴的時間用來與主親近，而不是忙著為祂做事。

馬大因馬利亞沒有幫她預備而生氣。就這一點，我們不能怪馬大。因為確實有許多事要做，而她也需要妹妹的幫忙。當耶穌沒有責備馬利亞，叫她幫忙做事時，馬大變得更生氣。

然而，對於馬大的抱怨，耶穌給了一個另人驚訝的回答：「馬大！馬大！妳為許多的事，思慮煩擾；但是不可少的只有一件，馬利亞已經選擇那上好的福分，是不能奪去的」（路加福音10章41-42節）。

當我思想這段經文，我覺得這對我是一個很好的提醒，希望對你也是。那就是：我們所建立的人際關係遠比我們所完成的工作重要。當然，完成我們被呼召的目標是很重要的，但我們也需要記得人際關係的價值，且認知將時間投資在朋友身上，比投資在工作上更重要。

我們的工作永遠會在那裡，等著我們去注意、去處理。但被忽略的友誼會變脆弱，時間一久，甚至不存在了。請想想：今天你是否需要聯絡某個人，一位重要的人，他/她與你的寶貴關係是你不願失去的？

思想 / 討論題目
1. 有些人天生就比別人更容易保持良好的人際關係。你在維持人際關係上（不論是個人或工作上）是否作得很好？或者這一點對你很重要？為什麼？

2. 在建立和培養工作中重要的人際關係上，你有那些障礙、困難？你是否認為建立職場友誼的環境已改變？若是，是變得更容易建立友誼，或變得較不易？

3. 你是否曾失去一個重要的朋友，或者友情變冷淡，因為你沒有花足夠的時間在他身上？你可以採取什麼步驟（或想採取什麼步驟），使這種情形以後不會再發生？

4. 當有人請教你時，你會建議他們如何維持工作需求，同時還是保有寶貴的人際關係？


註：若你有聖經請看有關此主題的其他經文，請看：
箴言17章17節，18章24節，27章10節，27章17節；約翰福音15章13-15節



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MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
April 16, 2007

TIME DEVOTED TO RELATIONSHIPS IS NEVER WASTED
By: Rick Boxx

Technology and greater efficiency in today’s workplace have brought many benefits, but they also have resulted in some costly consequences. For instance, as we try to cope with the flood of e-mails, voicemails, and increased responsibilities in our jobs, our capacity for developing and maintaining long-term friendships seems to be confronting greater challenges each year.

Many people in the business and professional world, including myself, have received helpful training in time management and in how to establish priorities to become more effective at work. This may improve the bottom line in terms of our individual productivity and get more items checked off on our daily to-do lists, but I’m concerned about how these escalating demands are affecting our long-time relationships.

An important factor often forgotten in our relentless pursuit of success is that accomplishment and triumph usually result from people working together, sharing their respective talents and skills to achieve a common mission. My closest friends are the ones that have often stepped in to offer assistance when I needed them most. But our busy schedules are making it increasingly difficult to cultivate these valuable relationships. Because of this, I sometimes wonder if one day my funeral will be attended primarily by people who merely feel obligated to be there, rather than by people who were committed to our mutual friendship.

In chapter 10 of the Gospel of Luke, in the Bible’s New Testament, there is a well-known account of a time when Jesus was visiting in the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was the perfectionist, and spent much of the time working diligently to prepare a meal for Jesus and his friends. Meanwhile, her sister Mary chose instead to sit at the feet of Jesus, devoting precious time simply being with her Lord, rather than becoming caught up in doing something for Him.

Martha became extremely annoyed with her sister for not helping with the preparations. And in one respect, we cannot blame her – obviously there was quite a bit of work to be done, and she could have used her sister’s aid. It seems Martha even became upset with Jesus for not rebuking Mary and telling her to get busy doing something.

In answer to this complaint, however, Jesus offered a startling reply that is recorded in Luke 10:41. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.”

As I have thought about this passage, it serves as a good reminder to me, and hopefully to you, that the relationships we build are more meaningful and ultimately more significant than the tasks we complete. It’s important that we accomplish the goals that we feel called to do, of course. But we also need to remember the value of relationships and recognize when it’s more important to set aside our projects, if only for a few minutes, and invest time in a friend.

Our work will always be there, waiting for our attention and action. But neglected friendships tend to weaken and, over time, even die. I wonder: Do you have someone today you need to get in contact with, an important person whose valued relationship you would hate to lose?

(Copyright 2007, 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. For more information about receiving Integrity Moments in their e-mail box, write to: rboxx@IntegrityMoments.com and type "subscribe" in the subject line or visit his website, www.IntegrityResource.org.

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Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Some people are naturally more relationship-oriented than others. How effective are you in maintaining relationships, both personally and professionally – or is this even important to you? Why or why not?





2. What are some of the hindrances or obstacles to building and cultivating important relationships that you have encountered on the job? Do you think the climate for establishing workplace friendships is changing and if so, has it become more positive or more negative?





3. Can you think of one or more significant relationships that you have lost or seen deteriorate because you have not been able to devote enough time to them? What steps could you take – would you like to take – to keep this from happening in the future?





4. If someone were to ask you, what advice would you offer for striking a reasonable balance between satisfying job demands and protecting valued relationships?




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

Proverbs 17:17, 18:24, 27:10, 27:17; John 15:13-15