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大多数有宗教信仰的企业专业人士都明白，一个繁荣的商区会带来许多祝福。美国人口普查局（the Census Bureau）近期公布的统计数据报告，美国商业所带动的庞大社区，共拥有约七百四十万个商行，雇佣了约一亿一千六百万名职员。[i]
这些企业提升了数以千万计的员工和其家属的生活质量。当遵守商业道德的企业蓬勃发展时，人人得利。就业机会涌现，薪资稳定不息，社区欣欣向荣。人们消费、付税，社会也向前发展，这是何等美好的景象。
美国经济学家米尔顿•弗里德曼（Milton Friedman）如此说：“历史的纪录绝对是一目了然的。至今没有发现任何可能改善普罗大众生活的方法，可以和自由企业制度孕育而成的生产活动相提并论。”
但是，圣经对基督徒营商业绩所带来的美好效益有何看法呢？
首先，只要是合法所得并合理使用，神不反对企业（及个人）盈利。圣经箴言教导我们：“手勤的，却要富足。”（10:4）、“诸般勤劳都有益处。”（14:23）、“殷勤筹划的，足致丰裕。”（21:5）。（中文和合本圣经）
神在这些经文中所说的“益处”（profit）是指眼前工作所产生的全部收益，是指个人或组织勤奋努力的深远影响，它包括但不局限于钱财所得。
例如，建筑公司盖屋得酬，这房子也因而成为一个新兴家庭的栖息所和避风港。药厂对症卖药盈利，患者因服该药而得以痊愈。车厂修车索费，车主因此有了可靠的交通工具办事通勤。在金钱易手的过程中，生活因着良好的产品和服务得以改善, 这就是神所说的“益处”（profit）。
杰夫•范•杜泽（Jeff Van Duzer）在《神为何关心商业》（Why Business Matters to God）一书中为区别于纯金钱报酬, 他特别强调两个基于圣经原则所产生的商业效益。他写道：
“有鉴于此，我确信商业在历史的现阶段有两个合理的、首要的和本质的目的：作为神所创造的管家和商界领导应当经营好他的企业以1）提供社区优质的产品和服务促使繁荣, 2）提供雇员有意义的工作机会，使他们得以施展神所赋予的创造才干。基督徒商人作为神的管家应致力于以下两个目标：一个是外在的——提供优质的产品和服务以提升大众的生活水平；另一个是内在的——为公司内部员工创造机会，让他们在荣耀神的工作中见证神对他们的呼召。
让我们一同来查考这两项营商效益的圣经根据：
企业提供产品和服务以繁荣社区:伊甸园是完美的，但神的旨意不是到此为止。神设计我们，为的是要我们彼此同工、共同管理和推进祂的创造。作为神形象的载体，我们使用和发展祂创造的资源，并以此荣耀神。
早在圣经创世记第四章就记载，人类合作建造城邑、牧养牲畜、制造和演奏乐器、煅造铜铁器具（创世记4:17-22）。这是人类从始祖时期就开始、一直延续至今的事情，如发明、建造、为改善全民生活质量提供产品和服务等等。
请注意：为达到所有效益，自由市场制度也产生过弊端。创世记第三章清楚交待，我们生活在一个堕落的世界，不仅是商界人士, 而是每个人及其机构都被罪性败坏了。当今基督徒企业专职人士为人处事的关键就是效法基督，在腓立比书4:8的精神指引下，向着标杆直跑：“弟兄们，我还有未尽的话：凡是真实的、可敬的、公义的、清洁的、可爱的、有美名的，若有什么德行，若有什么称赞，这些事你们都要思念。”（中文和合本圣经）
企业提供良机，经由荣耀神的工作达到自我的人生目标:为什么我们当中有这么多人在工作？这是因为神原本就把这个世界设计成如此（创世记1:26-28、2:15）。人类的工作是从神而来的崇高呼召，它是美差。
神藉着我们工作来供应我们“日用饮食”（马太福音6:11），它和衣、住、行一样，都是我们生活的必需品。无论我们是种庄稼的、盖房子的、做衣服的，还是用劳动所得来购买这些物品的，我们得到这些祝福所依靠的才干和资源都是来自于神。
甚至连耶稣都和我们一样在社区做工。在马可福音6:3中，祂的邻居称祂为“木匠”。耶稣也学技术、操工具、和他人一起工作，祂用行动证明了正当工作的尊严和必要性。耶稣以身作则，为的是要我们效法祂。最后，在我们人生的不同阶段，神可以只按我们的需要供给我们，也可以大大超过我们的所需所求，不管怎样，耶利米书29:11神的话都是适用的：“我（耶和华）知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。”（中文和合本圣经）
总结今天，美国七百四十万企业是为神效力的工具，通过完成如下两个任务，来实现神崇高的目标：1）按社区需要提供产品和服务，以改善我们共同的生活质量；2）在我们追求人生目标的道路上，为我们当中数以千万计的人提供就业机会、铺平职业道路。
作者简介：帕特里克•莱希（Patrick Layhee）是总部设立在休斯敦的GANE Technology, Inc. 的创始人和总裁。这是一家专业人士猎头公司。他也是GodsCareerGuide.com网站的创始人。他著有《神对职业的指导》（God’s Career Guide）。在这本书中，他结合自身的职场专长和对圣经的切身认知，为职场基督徒提供有实际价值的深刻见解，改善和丰富其他基督徒的职场人生。 注解： [i] U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Statistics of U.S. Businesses, 01/23/2015, http://www.census.gov/econ/susb/[ii] Van Duzer, Jeff, Why Business Matters to God: And What Still Needs to Be Fixed, InterVarsity Press, 2010, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AM77DW
文章来源：本文由休斯顿浸会大学基督教商业中心供稿，新商道翻译并编校发布。如欲转载，需经授权。
By Patrick Layhee
Most business professionals of all spiritual orientations understand the many blessings that come from a thriving business community. And a large business community it is—the Census Bureau recently published their Statistics of U.S. Businesses which reports a total count of 7.4 million U.S. business firms employing about 116 million people. [i]These businesses are contributing to an improved quality of life for their tens of millions of employees and their employees’ families. When ethical businesses thrive, everyone wins. Jobs are created, paychecks flow, and communities prosper. Wages are spent, taxes are paid, and society advances. It’s a beautiful thing.
American economist, Milton Friedman, expresses it this way, “So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.”
But, what does the Bible have to say to the Christian about all this unleashed goodness that comes from their business efforts?
For starters God doesn’t have a problem with businesses (and individuals) realizing a profit so long as it is rightly earned and honorably used. The Book of Proverbs tells us: “Diligent hands bring wealth.” (10:4); “All hard work brings a profit.” (14:23); and “The plans of the diligent lead to profit.” (21:5).
The profit God speaks of in these verses is the overall gain resulting from the work at hand. It’s the far-reaching impact of the individual’s or organization’s good endeavors. It includes but is not limited to pecuniary gain.
For example, a construction firm gets paid for building a house which becomes the home and safe haven for a growing family. The pharmacy profits from selling the right medication to a sick person who is ultimately made well; the auto shop repairs a car for a price and the car’s owner now has reliable transportation to run errands and commute to work. Money changes hands and lives are made better by the goods and services that have been provided. This is what God means by profit.
Jeff Van Duzer in his book, Why Business Matters to God, zeros in on two biblically-grounded benefits from business that are separate from the singular element of monetary reward. Jeff writes:"From this I would conclude that at this time in history, there are two legitimate, first-order, intrinsic purposes of business: as stewards of God’s creation, business leaders should manage their businesses (1) to provide the community with goods and services that will enable it to flourish, and (2) to provide opportunities for meaningful work that will allow employees to express their God-given creativity. One goal for the Christian businessperson who is stewarding God’s business is focused outward— providing goods and services that enhance the quality of life. One goal focuses inward— creating opportunities for individuals within the company to express their vocation in the performance of God- glorifying work." [ii]
Consider the biblical roots of the following two benefits:
Businesses provide goods and services that enable our communities to flourish.The Garden of Eden was perfect but it wasn’t finished. God designed us to work with each other in the administration and advancement of his creation. As God’s image-bearers, we use and develop the things he created and we do this in ways that honor him.
As early in the Bible as Genesis 4 mankind had joined together to build cities, raise livestock, make and play musical instruments, and forge tools from bronze and iron (Genesis 4:17-22). This is what we have been doing as human beings since the beginning, i.e., inventing, building, and producing goods and services that improve the quality of life for all of us.
Note: For all its goodness there are abuses that result from our free market system. Genesis 3 makes it clear that we live in a fallen world and consequently every person and their institutions are tainted by sin, not just those in the business community. The key for today’s Christian business professional is to emulate Christ while pressing forward in the spirit of Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure … think about such things.” Honor Christ with your business decisions, do what’s right, and leave the rest to him.
Businesses provide opportunities for us to achieve our life’s goals through God-glorifying work.
Why are so many of us working? Because God designed the world to run this way (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15). Human work is a high calling from God and it is good.
God uses our work to provide us with our “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) which is the many necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Whether we actually grow the food, build the shelter and make the clothes, or our labor provides the income to buy these things, God is the source of the talents and resources used to acquire these blessings.
Even Jesus worked in his community like the rest of us. In Mark 6:3 his former neighbors refer to him as the “carpenter.” Jesus learned a skill, picked up tools, and worked alongside others. In doing this, he validated the dignity and the necessity of honorable work. Jesus worked as an example for us to follow.
And finally, at various seasons in our lives God can give us just enough or much more than enough, either way Jeremiah 29:11 holds true: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Conclusion
Today’s 7.4 million U.S. businesses are instruments of God’s noble purposes by: 1) providing the goods and services our communities need to improve our collective quality of life, and 2) providing jobs and career paths for tens of millions of us as we pursue our goals in life.
Patrick Layhee is the founder and president of GANE Technology, Inc., a Houston-based professional recruiting firm. He is the founder of GodsCareerGuide.com and author of God’s Career Guide: Practical Insights for the Workplace Christian where he combines his workplace expertise and intimate knowledge of the Bible to improve and enrich the work-lives of other Christians. Patrick can be contacted at [email protected]. [i] U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Statistics of U.S. Businesses, 01/23/2015, http://www.census.gov/econ/susb/[ii] Van Duzer, Jeff, Why Business Matters to God: And What Still Needs to Be Fixed, InterVarsity Press, 2010, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AM77DW 休斯顿浸会大学基督教商业中心致力成为商业经贸领域中的全人领导者，不仅追求事业的卓越发展，并促使基督信仰改变大学生和刚刚进入职场的年轻人的生命，使其不仅成为有智慧、有判断、有主见的领袖；更能持守信仰，以其丰盛和活泼的生命作盐作光，成为世人的祝福。 关于我们
