牧者心聲

在步步緊逼的 KPI（關鍵績效指標）、無休止的通訊軟體通知，以及「必須隨時展現產值」的職場文化中，許多基督徒常陷入一種雙重疲憊：一方面在工作上精疲力竭，另一方面因無力過好信仰生活而深感內疚。我們的出路不在於擁有更多時間，而在於精力的管理與欲望的導引。

一、 認清耗竭的根源：欲望的錯置

在《欲望的門訓》一書中，作者蘇明思（James K. A. Smith）提醒我們，我們每天的行為其實都受制於某種「崇拜」。在職場中，我們常無意識地將「成功」、「掌控感」或「他人的肯定」當成了偶像。當自我價值與工作表現完全綑綁時，「工作」便成了「獻祭」。這種內在的錯置，正是導致我們心靈與肉體徹底耗竭（burnout）的元凶。

另一方面，一個人在靈性上的成熟，與他在情感上的成熟息息相關。如果我們在職場上總是帶著面具、壓抑羞愧、抗拒面對真實的軟弱，精力就會在「維持完美表象」的過程中消耗殆盡。

二、 建立神聖的節奏：持定身份、管理精力

要打破這種耗竭的循環，我們需要將信仰落實為日常的「微小習慣」：

1. 身份先於工作：在迎戰任何任務、挑戰和衝擊前，呼叫「阿爸父」，將自我價值堅立在神兒女的身份之上，再確認當天工作的優先順序，拒絕讓「緊急但不重要」的事奪走內心的平安。
2. 習慣養精蓄銳：人的精力由體能、情感、思維與精神四個層面組成。我們需要安靜察驗在日常生活和職場之中，甚麼常耗費自己的精力，甚麼能使自己重新得力，並據此而重整習慣。
3. 微小的安息：在密集的日程之間，刻意留出幾分鐘作深呼吸和安靜禱告，留意最近神與自己同在的片段，在體能和情感上充電。

三、 成其所是（Become who you are）：活出蒙愛的生命

弟兄姊妹，這世界有很大的勢力要扭曲我們的生命，若不儆醒，我們難免在錯誤的方向上消耗時間和精力，並感到空虛失落。聖經提醒我們：「你要保守你心，勝過保守一切，因為一生的果效是由心發出。」（箴四 23）我們必須相信，神會幫助我們在地上活出蒙愛的生命，成為神所喜悅的「所是」（being）。讓我們回到上帝面前，承認自己的有限，並透過每天小小的習慣微調，讓工作不再是靈性的墳墓，而是活出召命、見證基督王權的聖所。

  Amid the relentless pressure of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), never-ending notifications from messaging apps, and a workplace culture in which we are expected to “demonstrate our productivity at all times,” many Christians find themselves caught in a state of double exhaustion: on the one hand, they are utterly drained by their work; on the other, they feel deeply guilty because they lack the strength to live out their faith well. Our way out does not lie in having more time, but in managing our energy and directing our desires.

1. Recognizing the Root of Burnout: Misdirected Desires

  In The Discipleship of Desire, author James K. A. Smith reminds us that our daily actions are, in fact, governed by some form of “worship.” In the workplace, we often unconsciously turn “success,” “a sense of control,” or “the approval of others” into idols. When our sense of self-worth becomes completely bound up with our work performance, “work” becomes a “sacrifice.” This inner disorder is the very culprit that leads to the complete exhaustion (burnout) of both our soul and body.

  Furthermore, a person’s spiritual maturity is closely connected with their emotional maturity. If we constantly wear a mask in the workplace, suppress our shame, and resist confronting our genuine weaknesses, our energy will eventually be depleted in the process of “maintaining a perfect appearance.”

2. Establishing a Sacred Rhythm: Holding Fast to Our Identity and Managing Our Energy

  To break this cycle of burnout, we need to put our faith into practice through daily “small habits”:

1. Identity before work: Before rising to meet any task, challenge or adversity, call out to “Abba, Father.” Ground your self-worth firmly in your identity as a child of God, and then determine the priorities for that day’s work, refusing to allow matters that are “urgent but unimportant” to rob you of your inner peace.

2. Cultivating habits that restore our strength: Human energy consists of four dimensions: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. We need to pause quietly and discern what regularly drains our energy in daily life and in the workplace, and what enables us to regain our strength, and then reshape our habits accordingly.

3. Small moments of rest: Amid a tightly packed schedule, intentionally set aside a few minutes for deep breathing and silent prayer. Pay attention to recent moments in which you have experienced God’s presence with you, and allow yourself to be recharged physically and emotionally.

3. Become Who You Are: Living Out a Life of Being Loved

  Brothers and sisters, powerful forces in this world seek to distort our lives. Unless we remain vigilant, we will inevitably expend our time and energy in the wrong direction and be left feeling empty and lost. The Bible reminds us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). We must believe that God will help us live on earth as those who are deeply loved, becoming the kind of person or the “being” in whom God delights. Let us return to God, acknowledge our limitations, and make small daily adjustments to our habits, so that work may no longer be a graveyard for our spiritual lives, but a sanctuary in which we live out our calling and bear witness to the kingship of Christ.