“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 form the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Whatever work we are doing, we must do it with all our heart. The attitude behind doing something with all your heart means investing into the quality of work produced so that it is given value. Working with all your heart means attention to detail instead of glossing over papers or carelessly inputting data, timeliness with deadlines or attendance instead of rushing in late, and an intentional care displayed to clients instead of a self-serving attitude. Some people may explain that their work conditions are bad or clients are annoying, but good work ethic is not the result of situational convenience. Doing good work is not for the self, but for the Lord, and that is why the level of difficulty does not mean impossibility.
One morning, as I was on the way to work and stuck in LA traffic, I heard sermon about work by Chuck Swindoll on the radio and was surprised to hear him use the verse before the “all your heart” one, which states: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord” (v. 22). The connection between this verse and the working listener was not encouraging slavery, but the honest submission that is needed to be good witnesses of Christ at work. It may be difficult to respect one’s boss, but this verse instructs obedience, even when the work is tedious or when the boss is not able to check the work being done. On top of this, the obedience must be done with a sincere heart in reverence for God. Hearing this message changed my perspective on how to interact with my boss. Even if I should become irritated at the demands of my boss or his style of management or just not feel like submitting to his authority, I am to obey the authority God placed over me in obedience to God.
Another indicator of good work ethic is found in an individual’s level of cooperation, essential for positive relationships in the workplace and effective teamwork. Cooperating with others means understanding that not every disagreement is worth fighting for and learning how to communicate with others in a way that is persuasive, yet respectful. A helpful skill is knowing how to listen to what others are saying, in order to avoid misunderstandings and better approach the situation knowing full well their perspective. This may seem obvious, but not many people actually have this skill mastered. Positive relationships and teamwork are also affected by gossip. There is a culture of gossip in the workplace, but underneath that seemingly harmless habit is a mean, judging spirit of self-righteousness. When we say something negative about someone else, we are projecting ourselves above them, and that can often stem from pride. As the saying goes, if you have nothing good to say, then say nothing. In all that we do, we are to embody the goodness of Christ, so that no one can have anything to say against us (1 Peter 2:12).
In the workplace, it can become easy to get caught up in climbing the career ladder or getting consumed with the pressure of the daily grind. When that starts to happen, there needs to be a refocusing of priorities so that the example we set is a positive one. The foundation of a good work ethic comes from the belief that we, as Christians in the workforce, are working for the most famous and influential boss in the universe. When we believe that and implement that high position into the work we do and the interactions we give, then we should become the most valued and respectable workers in our workplace. “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).
“無論作甚麼、都要從心裡作、像是給主作的、不是給人作的。因你們知道從主那裡、必得著基業為賞賜，你們所事奉的乃是主基督。”（西3：23-24）
無論我們做什麼工作，我們必須盡心去做。盡心的態度的背後，代表著你賦予這項有品質的工作寶貴的價值。盡心的態度的背後，代表著注重細節，而不是草率看過文件或不經心地輸入數據；留意工作截止時限及出勤，而不是將工作留到最後一分鐘才做；留意招呼客戶的需要，而不是自顧自己的態度。有些人可能會解釋說，他們的工作條件惡劣或客戶令人討厭；但良好的職業道德，並不是情境怡人的結果。做好工作並不是為自己，而是為上帝，這就是為什麼難易程度並不意味著不可能。
有一天早上，當我開車去上班，正堵在洛杉磯繁忙的交通中，我聽到無線電播放Chuck Swindoll牧師關於工作的講道，很驚訝地聽到他用到關於“全心全意”的經文：“你們作僕人的、要凡事聽從你們肉身的主人、不要只在眼前事奉、像是討人喜歡的、總要存心誠實敬畏主。”（西3：22）說到這節經文和工作者之間的連接並不鼓舞奴役，而是忠誠地順從，好在工作中為主作見證。你可能有位很難令你尊重的老闆，但這一節指示服從，甚至當工作是乏味的，或老闆不能檢查工作做好沒。此外，真誠的服從必須是出於敬畏上帝的。聽到這個信息，改變了我應當如何與我的老闆互動的看法。我願意順服上帝安排在我上面的權柄，即使我似乎應該因著老闆的苛求或管理風格變得惱怒，或實在不想要服從他的權威。
良好的工作倫理的另一個指標是合作的程度，這點是在工作場所和有效團隊合作中至關緊要的要素。與他人合作，意味著，理解不是每個分歧都值得為之爭吵，並學習如何有效地、尊重別人地與他人溝通的方式。一個有用的技巧，是知道如何傾聽別人在說什麼，這樣可以避免誤解，並且更清楚地知道他們的觀點。這點似乎是顯而易見的，但是卻沒有多少人真的能掌握這項技巧。正面的關係和團隊精神，也常受閒言閒語影響。職場有八卦的文化，表面上看似乎無害的習慣，骨子裡卻是自以為是的好批評精神。當我們說別人負面的事情時，我們是將自己放在他們之上，傲視別人。俗話說，如果你沒有什麼好講的話，就什麼都不要說。“你們在外邦人中，應當品行端正，叫那些毀謗你們是作惡的，因看見你們的好行為，便在鑒察的日子歸榮耀給神。”（彼得前書2:12）
在職場，我們很容易陷入攀登職業階梯，或消耗在日常工作的壓力的情境中。當此現象發生時，就需要重新調整優先次序，我們才能樹立良好的的榜樣。身為基督徒，良好的職業道德的基礎來自於，我們是在為宇宙中最有名的和有影響力的老闆工作的信念。當我們如此相信，並實踐在我們工作的互動中，那麼我們就應該會成為職場中最有價值的和受人尊敬的工作者。“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。”（哥林多前書3：9）
◎Rebecca Ger ◎翻譯：葛麗