剪除沒有成果的事情來換取更大的空間
2019年7月15日By Jim Mathis
我曾經好一段時間是兩個本地商會的成員，當時所接觸的人和商會所做的活動都非常鼓舞人心，並且對我個人的發展和事業都很有幫助。幾年前，我做了一個艱難的決定，就是放棄我的會員資格，以便有更多的時間發展其他興趣。
我曾參與一個名為歐佛蘭公園市長早餐祈禱會（Overland Park Mayor's Prayer Breakfast）的活動足足35年，雖然這祈禱會好有意思，但今年我決定也退下來，讓其他人繼續這個偉大的事工。
我確立一個往後生活做事的原則就是「我不能每樣事情都參與，我只可以做好某些事情」。
這種生活方式就是「修剪」，這是好些植物蓬勃發展所必需的，例如葡萄藤和玫瑰花。有時我們要切斷舊死枝，或需要削去新枝，令整個藤蔓變得更有生機。
將這一原則應用於事業的追求，我們可以體會成更大的「空間」。我認為這個概念有發展餘地。工程師可能會稱之為產能過剩。如果我們總是全速向前衝，遲早我們不是崩潰下來，就是讓自己疲憊不堪，樣樣事情做得不好，果效差勁。
耶穌對他的門徒說：「我是真葡萄樹，我父是栽培的人。凡屬我不結果子的枝子，他就剪去；凡結果子的，他就修理乾淨，使枝子結果子更多。」（約翰福音15：1-2）。耶穌是講論屬靈成長，但這個原則適用於生活的每個領域，不論是在我們的職場、家庭，或是在我們的社交圈子的活動中。
沒有人是萬能的。要專注某些事情我們就需要放棄或至少減少對其他事情的參與。有時我們會發覺曾經夢想追尋的目的已逹，那麼也就是時候去發展其他事情了。正如傳道書3：1-8告訴我們：「凡事都有定期，天下萬務都有定時。生有時，死有時；栽種有時，拔出所栽種的也有時；殺戮有時，醫治有時；拆毀有時，建造有時；哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，跳舞有時；拋擲石頭有時，堆聚石頭有時；懷抱有時，不懷抱有時；尋找有時，失落有時；保守有時，捨棄有時；撕裂有時，縫補有時；靜默有時，言語有時；喜愛有時，恨惡有時；爭戰有時，和好有時。」
對於我們這些追隨耶穌基督的人來說，取得豐碩成果另一關鍵就是：「我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子。常在我裡面的，我也常在他裡面，這人就多結果子；因為離了我，你們就不能做什麼。」（約翰福音15：5）。即使我們想做好一件事，除非我們依靠上帝的智慧、力量和方向，否則我們永遠不會產生我們期望的結果。
正如我一直在“修剪”我的的工作，我已確定往後要追求上帝給我“最好”的東西。目前，這意味著我將花更多的時間來寫作、研究和思考問題。我正編寫一本書，而我和一些同工也正在開展一個項目。我相信我們的努力會被證明是滿有結果的。你是否也正在追求你認為對你最有成效的事情？
Jim Mathis是美國堪薩斯州歐弗蘭帕克攝影工作室的老闆，專門從事商業和戲劇肖像攝影，並經營著一所攝影學校。 他以前是密蘇里州堪薩斯城咖啡店的經理和CBMC的執行理事。
分享討論
1. 你能否判定一個人是否從事做正確的事情，又或者是兼顧太多的事情？
2. 正如作者所定義的那樣，你在生活中或你的工作中有多少“空間”？你是否發現自己參與或致力於許多令你經常疲憊不堪的事情？如果是這樣，您可以採取哪些措施來為您的生活創造更多空間？
3. 您是否曾觀察過或實際修剪過盆栽？從中能體會到什麼？結果又是什麼？
4. 當耶穌告訴他的追隨者要被“修剪”時，你認為耶穌有什麼想法？這在日常生活中是怎樣的？你認為你現在正在被修剪或者過去經歷過一些修剪嗎？請闡釋。
如想要閱讀更多關於這個主題的經文，請參考以下內容。
傳道書9章10節
10凡你手所當做的事，要盡力去做；因為在你所必須去的陰間沒有工作，沒有謀算，沒有知識，也沒有智慧。
約翰福音5章5-16節
5在那裏有一個人，病了三十八年。
6耶穌看見他躺著，知道他病了很久，就問他：「你要痊癒嗎？」
7病人回答他：「先生，水動的時候，沒有人把我放在池子裏；我正要去的時候，別人比我先下去了。」
8耶穌對他說：「起來，拿起你的褥子走吧！」
9那人立刻痊癒，就拿起自己的褥子走了。那天是安息日，
10所以猶太人對那被治好了的人說：「今天是安息日，你拿褥子是不合法的。」
11他卻回答他們：「那使我痊癒的人對我說：『拿起你的褥子走吧！』」
12他們問他：「對你說『拿起褥子走』的是甚麼人？」
13那治好了的人不知道那人是誰，因為那裏人很多，耶穌已經躲開了。
14後來耶穌在聖殿裏找到他，對他說：「你已經痊癒了，不要再犯罪，免得你的遭遇更壞。」
15那人就去告訴猶太人，使他痊癒的是耶穌。
16所以猶太人迫害耶穌，因為他在安息日做了這些事。
加拉太書6章9-10節
9我們行善不可喪志，因為若不灰心，到了適當的時候就有收成。
10所以，一有機會就要向眾人行善，向信徒一家的人更要這樣。
以弗所書5章15-18節
15你們要謹慎行事，不要像無知的人，要像智慧的人。
16要把握時機，因為現今的世代邪惡。
17不要作糊塗人，要明白主的旨意如何。
18不要醉酒，酒能使人放蕩；要被聖靈充滿。
歌羅西書4章5節
5你們要把握時機，用智慧與外人來往。
| 下載 |
Developing 'Margin' By Pruning Unfruitful Pursuits
July 15, 2019By Jim Mathis
For several years I was a member of two local chambers of commerce. The people I met and the activities we did were all very encouraging and helpful for me personally and for my business. A few years ago I made the difficult decision to drop my memberships in order to have more time for other interests.
For about 35 years I had been involved with a wonderful event called the Overland Park Mayor's Prayer Breakfast. This year I decided to step down and let others continue this great tradition as well.
I have taken steps in other areas of my life to reduce my activities using this general principle to guide my decisions: "You cannot do everything. In fact, you can only do a few things if you want to do them well."
A good metaphor for this approach to everyday living is the pruning that is necessary for some plants to flourish. Examples are grapevines and rose bushes. Sometimes we cut off old dead branches, and other times we need to clip off new growth so the entire vine will become more fruitful.
Applying that principle to human pursuits, we could call that creating “margin.” I think of margin as having room to grow. Engineers might call it excess capacity. If we are always running at our maximum, full-speed ahead, sooner or later we are either going to crash, wearing ourselves down to the point of exhaustion and total ineffectiveness, or we are going be doing a very poor job at everything.
Speaking to His disciples, Jesus made reference to this when He declared, “I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2). Jesus was talking specifically about spiritual growth, but the principle applies to every area of life, whether we are in the workplace, in our homes with our families, or engaged in activities in our neighborhoods and communities.
No one can be the best at everything. To excel at some things requires being willing to let go of, or at least reduce, our involvement in other things. And sometimes we discover that pursuits we once enjoyed and found useful have served their purpose and it is time to move on to other things. As Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…a time to plant and a time to uproot…a time to tear down and a time to build…a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them…a time to tear and a time to mend.”
For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, there is another key to being fruitful. He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Even if we are engaged in doing good things, unless we are relying on God’s wisdom, strength and direction, we will never produce the results we expect.
As I have been doing this “pruning” in my own life, I have determined that for the near future I want to pursue the “best” things that God has for me. For now, this means I am going to spend more time writing, which requires having the margin in my life to research, asking questions, and of course, thinking. I am in the middle of one book and I am getting together with my co-writing partner to work on another project. I trust these will prove to be endeavors that “bear much fruit.” Are you pursuing the things you believe are most fruitful for you?
© 2019. Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive, commercial and theatrical portraits, and operates a school of photography. He formerly was executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Reflection/Discussion Question
1. How do you think can a person determine whether he or she is engaged in doing the right things – or taking on too many things at one time?
2. As Mr. Mathis defines it, how much “margin” do you have in your life – or your work? Do you find yourself so heavily involved and committed to many things that you often find yourself worn out and unfulfilled? If so, what steps might you take to create more margin in your life?
3. Have you ever observed – or actually taken part in – pruning of a plant? What was the purpose of that, from what you could see? And what were the results?
4. What do you think Jesus had in mind specifically when He told His followers about the need for each of them to be “pruned”? What does that look like in everyday life? Do you think you are presently being pruned – or have undergone some pruning in the past? Explain your answer.
NOTE:
If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages:
Ecclesiastes 9:10; John 5:5-16; Galatians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:15-18; Colossians 4:5
| Download |