Having achieved a larger than expected profit, this successful entrepreneur decided to put his feet up and take life easy. He used his profit to secure his vision of a prosperous life. He failed to use God’s abundant provision to prosper others. He chose instead to walk away from a God-given opportunity to prosper in business for the commonwealth and forfeited his part in God’s plan for creation. It did not end well; ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’
就用比喻对他们说:有一个财主田产丰盛;自己心里思想说:“我的出产没有地方收藏,怎么办呢?”又说:“我要这么办:要把我的仓房拆了,另盖更大的,在那里好收藏我一切的粮食和财物。”神却对他说:“无知的人哪,今夜必要你的灵魂;你所预备的要归谁呢?”凡为自己积财,在神面前却不富足的,也是这样。
Luke12:16-21路加福音
towards God.’ This ‘rich man’ forfeited his God-given role and purpose as a fruitful farmer. With no remaining purpose or meaning in his life, he died.
有位成功的企业家在取得了超出预期的盈利后,决定好好休息过轻松的生活。他用所得的盈利过上了自己期望的富裕生活。他没有利用上帝丰富的供应来造福他人。相反地,他选择放弃上
帝给与的以经商的成功来创造共同富裕的机会,因此也丧失了上帝创造计划中原属于他的一席之地,其结局是不会好的;“凡为自己积财,在神面前却不富足的,也是这样。”这个“富翁”放弃了上帝赋予他做个有成果的“农夫”的角色和目的,在度过了没有其他目的和意义的后半生之后,他死了。
What would have been a better response to a bumper profit?
对待特大盈利更好的反应是什么?
Prosperity is like an overflowing cup. As more of God’s provision flows into our lives, we have a choice… let it overflow to others or reach for a bigger cup and store more for ourselves. We must cultivate a culture of extravagant generosity if we are to truly prosper in business.
富裕就像个满得溢出水的水杯,随着更多上帝的供应进入我们的生命,我们面临一个选择:让它溢出惠及他人,或拿个更大
Discussion 讨 论
Teaching 教 导
的杯子为自己积蓄更多。如果我们想要商业经营真正地繁荣发展,我们就必须培养一种慷慨大方的文化。
1. Business has a crucial role to play in the creation of prosperity. A Kingdom Business strives to contribute towards God’s vision of a prosperous society rather than work against it. Prosperity is a good thing but it is essential that we pursue a godly vision of prosperity if we are to make our business a fruitful ministry.
经商对创造繁荣起着至关重要的作用。国度企业要努力为上帝繁荣昌盛的社会愿景做出贡献,而不是相反。繁荣是一件好事,但如果我们要使我们的商业经营成为有成果的事工,就必须追求上帝眼中的繁荣昌盛。
The measure of true prosperity is not how much flows to us, so much as how much flows through and around us.
真正富裕的衡量标准不是我们得到了多少,而是有多少通过我们惠及了他人。
上帝、我们,其他人
1. Close the session with a short time of prayer. Ask God to cultivate in you a godly vision of prosperity and the contentment to live it out.
简短祷告后结束会议。祈求上帝在你心中培育合神心意的富裕
观以及把它活出来的满足感。
Reflection 思 考
Are you able to ‘practice what you preach’? Are you allowing
God’s word to influence the policies and practices of your
company?
你是否能够“践行你所传扬的”? 你是否让神的话来影响你公
司的政策和实践?
Discussion 讨 论
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s
power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
我说的话、讲的道,不是用智慧委婉的言语,乃是用圣灵和大能的明证,叫你们的信不在乎人的智慧,只在乎神的大能。
1 Corinth.哥林多前2:4-5
LOWELL ‘BUD’ PAXSON 洛威尔·巴德·帕克森(1935-2015)
Bud Paxson founded the Home Shopping Network in the US and later became an evangelical Christian who pioneered PAX TV, the largest family-friendly television network. This is his story. In 1986, four years after he founded the Home Shopping Network, it was experiencing meteoric growth. Paxson was traveling all over the
world and was away from home 260 days a year. His financial position exploded, but so too did his marriage. On Christmas Day 1986, Paxson’s wife broke the news that she was leaving him. He considered this the lowest point of his life. “I was absolutely and completely bankrupt. I was a millionaire, yet all of my success was worthless because I had lost my wife and wasn’t close to my kids” recalls Paxson. His Christmas gift to the family for 1986 had already been arranged; a trip to Las Vegas. His adult children urged him to go, despite the news from his wife, so
Paxson headed to Vegas. On New Year’s Eve, after all the festivities had ended, he remained unable to sleep. At 4am, he felt an urge to read the Bible, something he
Teaching 教 导
圣灵
hadn’t done since he was a child at Sunday school. Locating one in a drawer next to the bed, he read Romans 5:8; ‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ and gave his heart to Christ. It was the turning point in his life. Paxson had an insatiable appetite for learning the Bible and with the help of a local pastor, he began to truly understand how to live a life committed to Jesus Christ.
巴德·帕克森(Bud Paxson)在美国创建了家庭购物网,他后来成为一名福音派基督徒,是他率先开发了最大的适合家庭的 PAX TV 电视网。下面是他的故事。1986年,在帕克森创建家庭购物网四年后,它正经历着飞速的发展。帕克森在全世界旅行,一年内 260 天都不在家。他的经济状况爆炸性发展,但同时他的婚姻也破裂了。
1986 年圣诞节那天,帕克森的妻子发布消息说她要离开他。他认为这是他一生中的最低谷。“我绝对彻底地破产了。我曾经是百万富翁,但我所有的成功都一文不值,因为我失去了妻子,和孩子们也不亲近。”帕克森回忆说。他给家人 1986 年的圣诞节礼物已经安排好了:去拉斯维加斯旅行。尽管有他妻子已发布的消息,他已成年的子女还是劝他去,所以帕克森去了拉斯维加斯。除夕之夜,在所有庆祝活动结束后,他无法入睡。凌晨 4 点,他感到非常想读圣经,这是他从小时候主日学之后就从未做过的事情。他在床边的抽屉里找到一本圣经,读到了罗马书 5:8“惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死,神的爱就在此向我们显明了。”这是他一生的转折点。自此帕克森如饥似渴地学习圣经,在当地牧师的帮助下,他开始真正地明白了如何过一个委身耶稣基督的生活。
His business practices began to change too and the Home Shopping Network flourished. When he sold the company, his take was $118M. At this point, Paxson could have retired and/or given the money to charity. Instead, he used the money to buy local television stations at a time when many were selling. Although the plan to purchase these apparently failing television stations seemed illogical, the Lord had given Paxson peace about the plan. It paid off when, soon after, a Supreme Court decision imposed a ‘must-carry rule mandating that cable operators include all broadcast stations in a given market on their channel offerings. This greatly increased the value of the supposedly worthless stations he had just purchased. He then parlayed these acquisitions into the creation of the
television network PAX TV which he used to combat what he called ‘the moral manure’ found on television. He pledged that Pax (the Roman word for peace) would not air gratuitous sex, violence, or bad language. “I want it to be parables and storytelling, which is what Jesus did”.
他的经商方式也开始发生变化,而家庭购物网也蓬勃发展。后来他以 1.18 亿美元卖掉了公司。此时,帕克森本可以退休或将钱捐给慈善机构。但趁着当时许多无线电视台在出售,他用这笔钱购买了当地的无线电视台。尽管购买这些已然衰败的无线电视台似乎不合逻辑,但上帝给了帕克森执行这个计划的平安。不久之后,最高法院的裁决通过了一项“强制令”,要求新兴的有线电视运营商在其所提供的频道中必须包括给定市场中所有的无线电视台,帕克森的投资获得了回报。强制令大大增加了他刚刚买来的本该一文不值的无线电台的价值。之后,他成功地用这些收购来的电视台创建了 PAX TV 电视网,并以此来对抗电视上被他称为“道德大粪”的不良节目。他保证 Pax(罗马语的“和平”)不会播放无端的性行为,暴力或污秽语言。“我希望它用比喻和讲故事,正如耶稣所做的” 。
J. GUNNAR OLSON 詹纳·奥尔森
Gunnar Olson is a Swedish entrepreneur and founder of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce. He is the owner and Chairman of Alfapac, a high-tech plastic film manufacturing company. He often teaches about ‘a release under the Lordship of Christ and actively believes that a business, reconciled to Christ, has a place in the Kingdom of God, making the Kingdom manifest ‘through spirit, by faith.’
詹纳·奥尔森(Gunnar Olson)是个瑞典企业家,也是国际基督教商会的创始人。他是高科技塑料薄膜制造公司 Alfapac 的所有人和董事长。他经常教导“在基督王权下的释放”,并坚信一个与基督和好的生意在神国占有一席之地,可以“通过圣灵凭着信心”彰显神的国。
He tells of a wonderful example. His company was coming to the end of a significant production run and had produced several million pounds of silage bags that were ready for shipment. Just a few days before they were due to be shipped, the production manager came to Gunnar looking troubled. ‘I think we’ve come to the end of the road at Alfapac,’ he said. It turned out that all of the bags were faulty. The fault had not been identified during production and over one thousand pallets of stock, ready to be shipped, could not be used. The business was facing bankruptcy. This is how Gunnar responded; ‘I assembled the family and shared the news. Then we decided how we would deal with the problem in prayer. We would simply present the situation to the Lord and then listen to the Holy Spirit because we had given the company to Him. While they were praying a man rang and said, ”I don’t know what’s going on, but I have a word for you. You must speak to the invisible.” That word of encouragement was enough. Our faith was sealed.’ It is worth quoting what they did next in full, from his excellent book, Business Unlimited.
他讲述了一个很好的例子。他的公司即将完成一个重要的生产流程,已生产出几百万磅的青贮袋准备装运。就在即将装运的前几天,生产经理忧心忡忡地来见詹纳。他说:“我想 Alfapac 要完蛋了。”原来所有的青贮袋都有问题。这些问题在生产过程中未被及时发现,导致已经准备装运的上千货盘青贮袋都不能用。企业面临破产。詹纳是这样回应的:“我召集了家人,告诉他们这个消息。然后我们讨论如何用祷告来处理这个问题。我们决定只是将情况告诉主,然后听圣灵的带领,因为我们已经将公司交托给祂了。就在我们祷告的时候,一个人按门铃进来说:‘我不知道发生了什么,但我有话对你们说:你们必须对看不见的那位诉说。’有了这鼓励的话语就足够了,我们的信仰已被封印。”在这里完整引述詹纳优秀的著作《无限的商业》中讲述他们接下来所做的一切是值得的。
‘He had told me the bad news on Friday, and the first opportunity we had to visit the factory and see all the pallets were on Sunday evening. Driving out, we agreed that we would not allow even the tiniest piece of sealed plastic to remain after we had prayed. As we stood holding hands in the yard, I was glad I hadn’t seen all the pallets before. They were everywhere! To the natural eye, it was overwhelming. For a while, we stood and praised the Lord for his faithfulness and mercy. Then I yelled at the top of my voice, “Listen heaven and earth! Who is the Lord over Alfapac? His name is Jesus! In the name of Jesus, I commanded all those plastic molecules to come back into line!”
“他是在星期五告诉我这个坏消息的,直到周日晚上我们才有机会去工厂察看那些货盘。开车去的时候,我们决定祷告祈求神连最微小的不能用的密封的塑料都不允许留下。当我们站在院子里牵着手时,我庆幸以前没有看到过所有这些货盘。它们到处都是!从人眼看来,它们实在太多了。我们站着用了一些时间赞美主的信实和怜悯。然后我用尽全力大声喊到:‘ 天啊地啊,请听!谁是 Alfapac 的主?祂的名字是耶稣!我奉耶稣的名,命令所有这些塑料分子恢复原来的样子!’
Praying in tongues, we laid hands on each pallet and after three hours we had finished. We went home. The job was done. On Monday morning, my brother ordered the whole factory staff to open all the boxes and check their content. To the glory of God, no bag was sealed! What a mighty God we serve! This is the glory
element that becomes visible as we submit every aspect of our lives to Him. There is a joy which carries us through as we work with him, and He is excellent in everything He does. That is the difference between a secular business and one that is given over to the Lord. His glory and His life is manifest in the workplace.’
我们用方言祷告,按手在每个货盘上,三个小时后我们全部完成。我们回家了,大功告成。星期一早上,我兄弟命令全厂员工打开所有的包装盒检查。荣耀归于上帝,被密封而不能用的袋子一个也没有了!我们服事的上帝是多么伟大!当我们将生命的方方面面都交托给祂,我们就能看见祂的荣耀。当我们与祂同工,就有一种喜乐带我们前行,而祂所做的一切都那么完美。这就是世俗的生意与交托给主的生意之间的区别。祂的荣耀和祂的生命在职场被彰显。”
The examples of Paxson and Gunnar illustrate how it is possible to lead a modern business in both the peace and the power of the Holy Spirit.
帕克森和詹纳的故事说明了如何能在圣灵的平安与大能中领导一个现代企业。
What practical steps might you take to achieve a spiritual balance in your business? If time permits, consider the
significance of 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 and Ephesians 4:11-13.
你可以采取哪些实际的做法在你的商业经营中达到属灵的平衡?如果时间允许,思考哥林多前书 12:12-14 和以弗所书 4:11-13的意义。
We must strive to ensure that our businessis a complete ministry.
我们必须努力确保我们的商业经营是个完整的事工
圣灵、神的话 行为、事工
Close the session with a short time of prayer. Ask God to help you live out a complete ministry in and through your business.
短暂祷告后结束会议。祈求上帝帮助你通过你的商业经营活出一个完整的事工。
What in particular do you think is broken? Share an example from your sector.
你认为具体是什么崩溃了?分享一个你所在行业的例子。
In 2019, The Edelman Trust Barometer (a survey of over 33,000 people from 28 countries) indicated that only 20% of the interviewees felt that the current economic system was
working for them. 76% believed that business leaders should take the lead on change rather than waiting for governments to impose it.
2019 年,爱德曼信任晴雨表(一项对来自 28 个国家的 33,000多人的调查)表明,只有 20%的受访者认为当前的经济体系在为他们服务。76%的受访者认为商业领袖应带头进行变革,而
不是等待政府来推动。
Teaching 教 导
Discussion 讨 论
Do you believe that the responsibility to ‘fix the economy lies with business leaders and owners?
你是否认为“修复”经济的责任在于商业领袖和企业主?
“商业领袖应带头进行变革”
Discussion 讨 论
Write seven words that you feel describe the prevailing culture of business today in the left-hand column below. Write down the opposite of these words in the right-hand column.
在下面左栏中写出你认为能描述当今盛行商业文化的七个单词。
在下面右栏中写下这些单词的反义词。
Business culture 商业文化 Opposite 对立面
Which column best reflects the character of God and His Kingdom? How godly is today’s business culture?
哪一栏最能反映上帝及其国度的品格?当今的商业文化有多敬虔?
Activity 活 动
The business has forgotten its true role as the creator of collective prosperity through just means. The prevailing culture of business needs to change.
商业已经忘记了其通过正义手段实现共同富裕的初创者之角色。流行的商业文化需要改变。
If there was a ‘great move of God’ in the workplace, how might this change the culture of the business?
如果在职场有“上帝伟大的行动”,它将如何改变商业文化?
葛培理
Abraham
Do you think all Christians in business are called to take a proactive role in this ‘great move of God’?
你是否认为所有经商的基督徒都被呼召在“上帝伟大的行动”中发挥积极主动的作用?
Do you think Christian entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders have a special role to play?
你是否认为基督徒企业家,企业主和领导者应扮演特殊的角色?
Which of the four options below best describes what the term ‘Christian company’ means to you?
以下四个选项中哪一个最能说明“基督徒企业”一词对你的意
义?
A Founded by a Christian 由基督徒创立
B Led by a Christian 由基督徒领导
C Christian ethos 基督教精神
D Christian workforce 基督徒职工
Can C be achieved without A or r B ?
Discussion 讨 论
Reflection 反 思
无需 A 或 B 能实现 C 吗?
Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness ness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warder.
So the warder put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warder paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care because the
Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
约瑟的主人把约瑟下在监里,就是王的囚犯被囚的地方。于是约瑟在那里坐监。但耶和华与约瑟同在,向他施恩,使他在司狱的眼前蒙恩。司狱就把监里所有的囚犯都交在约瑟手下。他们在那里所办的事都是经他的手。凡在约瑟手下的事、司狱一概不察、因为耶和华与约瑟同在;耶和华使他所作的尽都顺利。
The Lord was with Joseph. Whatever the context, his gift of business administration bore fruit.
耶和华与约瑟同在。无论在什么情形下,他的 商业管理天赋都取得了成果。无论在何种情形下,约瑟显然有经商的天赋。他所到之处,上帝赋予他的才能都取得了成果。
Do you know what your abilities are? List them here.
你知道你的才能是什么吗?把他们列在下面。
1 . Are your abilities bearing fruit in business?
你的才能在经商中有成果吗?. Do you recognize your abilities in business as God-given gifts?
你是否认识到你在商业中的才能是上帝的恩赐?. Can you recall when these gifts were given?
你能回忆起是什么时候你被赋予这些恩赐?.
During the early years in Egypt, Joseph was being prepared for the role that lay ahead. We have seen that long before his gift of interpreting dreams would begin its work, the gift of administration was blossoming, developing and being
refined. This was a gift that could not be repressed by circumstances. As long as there was opportunity, and people to
recognize his gift, it prospered. We too need to recognize that, whatever our circumstances, God’s gifts long to bear fruit in our lives. Whenever we see consistent fruitfulness, we can be sure that God is at work.
However, our gifts will never achieve a great work of God, bearing spiritual fruit, unless we complement our gifting with an equal measure of humility. If we are to be truly successful, we must learn to acknowledge God as the source of our gifts. Humbly relying on God is the essential ingredient of spiritual success. Joseph learned this the hard way. We will now see how.
在埃及的早期岁月里,上帝就一直在为将来的角色预备约瑟。我们已经看到,早在他解梦的天赋开始发挥作用之前,他的管理天赋就已经开花结果、发展并完善。这是一种无法被环境所抑制的天赋。只要有机会,只要有人意识到他的天赋,它就蓬勃发展。我们也要认识到,无论我们的环境如何,上帝的恩赐渴望在我们的生活中结出果实。每当我们看到持续的成效,我们就可以确信神正在做工。
然而,我们的恩赐永远不会成就神的伟大工作结出属灵的果子,除非我们以同样程度的谦卑来伴随我们的恩赐。如果我们想要真正的成功,我们必须学习承认上帝是我们天赋的来源。谦卑地倚靠上帝是属灵成功的基本要素。约瑟好不容易学到这个功课。现在我们来看如何做到这一
点。
Teaching 教 导
2.2 The essential ingredient for success
成 功 的 基 本 要 素
During his time in prison, Joseph’s more widely recognized giftemerged…the gift of interpreting dreams.
在他服刑期间,约瑟另一个大家更熟悉的天赋出现了……解梦的天赋。
Teaching 教 导
An essential attribute, if we are to see God working through us, is to genuinely desire to serve God and others with our gifts. On first impressions, it would seem that Joseph had this desire. He showed clear compassion towards his fellow prisoners and offered to interpret their dreams as an act of kindness. On this occasion, both the cupbearer and the baker
Genesis创世纪& 14
After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men- the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison- had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.
So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’ ‘We both had dreams,’ they answered, ‘but there is no one to interpret them.’
Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams…But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.’
他们有些日子在监里。被囚在监之埃及王的酒政和膳长二人同夜各做一梦,各梦都有讲解。到了早晨,约瑟进到他们那里,见他们有愁闷的样子。他便问法老的二臣,就是与他同囚在他主人府里的,说:“你们今日为什么面带愁容呢?”他们对他说:“我们各人做了一梦,没有人能解。”
约瑟说:“解梦不是出于神吗?请你们将梦告诉我。” ……但你得好处的时候,求你记念我,施恩于我,在法老面前提说我,救我出这监牢。
of the king of Egypt were troubled by dreams and desired an interpretation. We don’t know how, but Joseph clearly believed that he could interpret their dreams and offered to do so for both men. It must have felt like quite a risk. This suggests that Joseph already had a strong sense of confidence in his second
gifting.
如果我们要看到上帝通过我们做工,一个基本的品质就是真诚地渴望用我们的天赋来服侍神和他人。猛地一看,约瑟像是有这个愿望。他对狱友们表现出明显的同情,并好心地表示愿意为他们解梦。
那时,埃及王的酒政和膳长因梦愁烦,求梦的讲解。我们不知道他是怎么做到的,但是约瑟确信他能解梦,并表示可以为这两人解梦。这令人感觉太冒险了,它说明当时约瑟对自己的第二个天赋有着强大的信心。
Joseph began by acknowledging that only God can interpret dreams. The passage says; ‘Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’‘ (Note the emphasis is on ‘me’).
There is a subtle but significant hint of arrogance in his statement which, as we will see, revealed that he was not yet fully reconciled to the principle that all good gifts come from God and it is God that should receive the glory for their use. It reveals that he was not yet fully submitted to God.
约瑟先是承认只有上帝才能解梦。经文写道:约瑟对他们说“解梦不是出于神吗? 告诉我你的梦。”(注意这里强调的是
‘我’)。在他的话里有一丝微妙但意味深长的傲慢,正像我们将会看到的,这表明他还没有完全顺应所有天赋都来自上帝,
由这些天赋所带来的荣耀应归给上帝的原则,也就是说他还没有完全顺服神。
Discussion 讨 论
Do you think these men might have thought it was Joseph rather than God who was able to interpret the dream?
你认为这些人会不会以为是约瑟而不是上帝能解梦呢?
Once Joseph knew the dream’s interpretation, he sought to use it for his own benefit. Do you think this self-interest was a significant mistake?
当约瑟知道了梦的解释后,他就用它为自己谋利。你认为他为自己谋利是个重大错误吗? .
Teaching 教 导
In interpreting the cupbearer and bakers’ dreams, Joseph fails to draw a clear distinction between God and himself. This may sound harsh but, as we will see, two years later, this is a distinction he made very clear when he eventually stands before Pharaoh. It is an essential distinction.
在给酒政和膳长解梦时,约瑟没有明确区分上帝和他自己。这听起来可能很苛刻,但是,我们将会看到,两年后,当他最终站在法老面前时,他把上帝和自己做了很明确的区分。这样的区分是非常必要的。
Genesis创世纪(41:15-16)
Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’ ‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh,‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’
法老对约瑟说:“我做了一梦,没有人能解。我听见人说,你听了梦就能解。”约瑟回答法老说:“这不在乎我,神必将平
安的话回答法老。”
When Pharaoh demands that Joseph interprets his dream, his reputation has preceded him and Pharaoh attributes the gift of interpreting dreams, not to God, but to Joseph.
This suggests that the cupbearer had missed God’s hand in Joseph’s gifting. However, Joseph’s response to Pharaoh is fundamentally different from two years earlier in the
dungeon. This time he does what every servant of God must do in each new relationship if it is to bear fruit for the
King dom of God, and the earlier the better.
He makes it clear that God is the one who interprets dreams and that he is merely His agent; ‘‘I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’’ Joseph recognizes God’s hand in his ability and makes it clear that his ability to interpret dreams is a gift of God.
法老要约瑟解梦时早知道他的名声,他没有把解梦的天赋归给上帝,而是归给了约瑟。这表明酒政没有认为约瑟的天赋
来自神。然而,约瑟对法老的回答与两年前在地牢里时的完全不同。这次他做了每个要为神国结出果实的神的仆人,在
每个新关系中必须做的事,而且这事越早做越好。他清楚地表明上帝才是解梦的那位,他只是上帝的代理人:“这不在
乎我,神必将平安的话回答法老。”约瑟认识到他的能力是借上帝之手,并清楚地表明他解梦的能力是上帝的恩赐。
This is one of those seminal moments in any believer’s life, particularly if we want our work to be our ministry. This is the moment we come out for God, acknowledging His power and, in humility, our dependency on Him. This is the moment God is fully let in and the moment our ministry truly begins. From this moment, the glory will go to God.
这是信徒一生中决定性的时刻之一,尤其是当我们希望把我们的工作当成我们的事工时。这是我们为神站出来的时刻,谦卑地承认他的大能和我们对祂的依赖。这是我们让神完全进到我们里面的时刻,也是我们的事工真正开始的时刻。从这一刻起,荣耀将归于上帝。
Discussion 讨 论
How had Joseph’s attitude to the source of his gift changed by the time he saw Pharaoh? What is the key distinction?
当约瑟见到法老时,他对自己天赋来源的态度有了什么改变?关键的区别是什么?
1.Real humility leads a person to be curious about and concerned for others, not fixated on how others can lead to one’s own enrichment.
真正的谦卑使人对他人感到好奇和关心,而不是只关注他人如何使自己得利。
2. Humility is about true service, not self-congratulation.
谦卑是有关真正服务他人,而不是自我陶醉。
3.In admitting an error or acknowledging that one is wrong, the humble person not only apologizes but also changes course.
通过承认错误或承认自己不对,谦卑的人不只是道歉,而
且也着手改变。 4. Real humility builds up; false humility tears down.
真正的谦卑建造;虚伪的谦卑拆毁。
5. The more responsibility or power one has, the more humility one need.
一个人的责任或权力越大,就越需要谦卑。
Reflect on Joseph’s story up to this point. Do you think he had learned real humility?
约瑟的故事发展到这儿,你认为他学会了真正的谦卑吗?
Why is it so essential for those who are gifted to have real humility?
为什么对那些有天赋的人来说,真正的谦卑如此重要?
Reflection 反 思
Joseph’s life seemed to go through a series of ups and downs. His early life was like a discipleship course; each time his gifts resulted in promotion, he received a lesson in humility.
However, regardless of his circumstances, his gifts bore fruit. They could not be held down. He learned to be both gifted and humble; the essential ingredients of success.
约瑟的一生似乎经历了一连串的起起落落。他早期的生活就像是门徒训练课程; 他的天赋为他带来的每一次提升,都给他上了谦卑的一课。然而,不管他的环境如何,他的天赋都结出果实,无法被压制。他学会了既有恩赐又谦卑这一成功的基本要素。
HUMILITY GATEWAY
Reflect on how the events of Joseph’s early life nurtured his gifts and shaped his character. How has God used the events of your life to nurture and shape you? Describe a little of your journey into business.
思考约瑟早年生活中发生的事是怎样培养他的天赋和塑造他的性格的。神是怎样用你生命中发生的事来培养和塑造你的? 描述一下你从商的经历.
Joseph’s God-given gifts could not be fully fruitful until, in complete humility, he gave all the glory to God. Then Joseph was not only released from prison but also into his ministry.
Having passed through the gateway of humility, it was all onwards and upwards with his life’s work. He was ready to
fulfill God’s purposes in his generation.
约瑟的“门徒训练课程”父亲的家 波提乏的家 监狱 法老的王宫谦卑之门神给约瑟的恩赐不能全然地结果子,直到他完全谦卑地把所有的荣耀归给神。之后约瑟不但被放出了监狱,而且开始了他的事工。通过了谦卑之门后,他一生的工作都是向前和向上的。他已准备好在他的世代成就神的目的。
Reflection 反 思
Are you humble with your God-given gifts?
拥有上帝赐予的天赋你仍谦卑吗? Are you able to publicly acknowledge God as the source of
your gifts?
你能公开承认上帝是你天赋的来源吗?
Never 从来没有 Always 一直是
Acknowledging God as the source of our gifts is essential if God is to be glorified through a significant leadership role.
如果要通过重要的领导角色来荣耀上帝,承认上帝是我们天赋的来源是至关重要的,
‘Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.’
“凡在人面前认我的,我在我天上的父面前也必认他;凡在人面前不认我的,我在我天上的父面前也必不认他。”
Matthew马太福音(10:32-33)
If we hope to succeed in business, we need to allow God to nurture humility within us. It is the essential
complement to our God-given gifts.
如果我们希望在商业上取得成功,我们就要让上帝在我们里面 孕育谦卑。它是上帝赐予我们的天赋之必要补充。
Discussion 讨 论
How might you take a practical step this week to acknowledge God before others?
这个星期你会如何采取实际行动在别人面前承认神呢? .
有天赋/准备好了/愿意被使用愿景
2.3 Achieving God’s purposes through business
通过商业实现神的目的 Prepared VISION
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean.
I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
法老对约瑟说,我梦见我站在河边,有七只母牛从河里上来,又肥壮又美好,在芦荻中吃草。随后又有七只母牛上来,又软弱又丑陋又干瘦。在埃及遍地,我从来没有见过这样丑陋的母牛。这又乾瘦又丑陋的母牛吃尽了那以先的七只肥母牛。可是,他们吃了以后,谁也看不出来是吃了什么。它们看起来和以前一样丑陋。然后我醒了。
‘In my dream I saw seven ears of corn, full and good, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other ears sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven good ears. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.’
我梦见一棵麦子长了七个穗子,又饱满,又佳美。随后又长了七个穗子,枯干细弱,被东风吹焦了。这细弱的穗子,吞了那七个好穗子。我将这事告诉了术士,他们却没有一个能给我讲解。
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears of corn are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless ears of corn scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
约瑟对法老说,法老的梦乃是一个。神已将所要作的事显明给法老了。七只好母牛是七年,七个好穗子也是七年。这是同一个梦想。那随后上来的七只又乾瘦又丑陋的母牛是七年,那七个被东风吹焦的穗子也是七年,都是七个荒年。
Genesis创世纪(41:17-31)
‘It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are
coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the
a famine that follows it will be so severe.’
这就是我对法老所说,神已将所要作的事显明给法老了。埃及遍地要来七个大丰年,随后又要来七个荒年。这样,埃及地就全然忘记先前的丰收,全地必被饥荒所灭。因为后来的饥荒甚大,就不记念那地的丰裕了。

