幻变世界中的「职青生活plan」

全球性流行病、战争、网购的盛行、混合办公模式、人工智能…在过去五年，这些宏观环境中出现的趋势，影响著我们资源上的分配、人际关系模式，及对社会的参与。作为一个在职青年／成人，如何在这些变化中过健康、忠实的生活？

注重健康．身心社灵
环境的变化对我来说从来都不是一个新概念。在外国读大学时，工读实习课程 (co-op program) 训练我适应每四个月一次的转变。该课程要求学生在校园学习四个月，然后接下来的四个月要寻找实习工作并搬迁到工作地点。整个循环在那五年制学位中重复进行。每次当我搬到一个新的城市，除了住宿外，我通常会寻找三个主要的地方：健身中心、教会和图书馆。透过照顾自己的身心社灵上的需求，我竭力在离乡别井时，保持健康的生活方式，并培养出对转变的韧性。


进入新公司/搬家

毕业后，我回到香港工作了十四年。在过去四年我见证了新冠疫情带来的种种转变。平常的教会和工作生活被打乱，这确实使我思考生命到底是什么。身处如此多的不确定和社交孤立中，我可以抓紧什么？以致能尽量减少这些损害健康的压力？感谢上帝的恩典，我在疫情限聚期间没有感染新冠病毒，但这算得上是健康吗？根据世界卫生组织（WHO）的定义：「健康是包括身体、心理和社交健全的状态，而不只没有病弱。」

根据上述定义，没有疾病似乎只是健康的开始。于我而言，在限聚期间保持活力的健康生活是这样的：
1.每周与家人一起进行桌游之夜。（社交）
2.持续参与网上团契及崇拜。（心灵）
3.学习烹饪新菜式以减轻在家工作的压力。（心智）
4.在住处附近单独骑脚踏车或慢跑。（身体）

单人骑行/家庭烘焙/家中举办线上崇拜

工作热诚・体现神属性
在大学和职业的生涯里，我了解到活力是需要有目的地投入精力而获得的。你愈是保留，就愈糟糕。例如，传送讯息问候别人可以滋润你的灵魂；坚持运动有利于你的身体能量水平。

圣经在箴言11:24-25中教导我们：「有施舍的，钱财增添；吝惜过度，反致穷乏。慷慨待人，必然丰裕；滋润人的，连自己也得滋润。」

这种意志力不是来自自我，乃是从成长中建立的习惯和价值观累积而来的。因此，个人价值观需建立在永恒不变的真理上，这至关重要。

心智发展方面，重点是时刻尽心尽意尽智地荣耀上帝。

「你们无论做什么，都要从心里做，像是为主做的，不是为人做的；因为你们知道，从主那里必得著基业作为赏赐。你们要服侍的是主基督。行不义的人必受不义的报应；主并不偏待人。」（西3:23-24）

以上所言，并不是叫我们取悦他人，因为人的要求往往会因著彼此关系的转变而变化。但当你由衷认识那位超越任何境况、永恒的上帝时，你就可以超越取悦他人的范畴，而专注于在你所做的一切事情里，展现上帝的爱与关怀。例如，当你的同事离职，新的同事到任，你可以尽己所能去关心和培育新同事。这样，你便可以平静地应对同事的离任，而不是专注于你的亏损，继续尽心地做上帝的工作。

于我而言，尽心工作的原则是意味著：只要你能在目前的工作岗位上尽自己最大的努力，体现神的属性，就不需要担心此刻是否需要转行。当然，如果你觉得自己可以在新的平台／公司做更大的事情，你可以祷告寻求是否神的心意。

展现信仰・同行+见证
灵性发展方面，就是以认识耶稣的性情和明白祂在我们生命中的旨意，来活出基督徒的见证。

「信神所差来的，这就是神的工作。」（约6:29）

若要为神竭尽全力，你需要了解神的性情，才能仿效祂，并藉著神不变的原则以应对不断转变的世代。假如你不认识神和祂的旨意，你会缺乏永恒的动力在变幻生活中保持平静。例如，当你明白到耶稣对你的爱足以在十字架上宽恕你一切的过犯时，你就不会沉浸在自己的失败中，并有力量继续作祂的工。另一方面，你知道神恨恶罪，所以当你经历过祂的真实和原则，你自然就不想冒犯祂。

至于身体，你可以透过增强体魄为神作工来荣耀祂。「要在你们的身体上荣耀神。」（林前 6:20）

这应该是你做运动的动力。当你爱神爱得足够，就会被驱使以自己的身体来荣耀祂，并以此向你周围的人作见证。

社交方面，荣耀神就是以祂的爱来与人同行。「那人单独一个不好。」（创2:18）

人是群居动物，应对转变的最佳方式就是携手并进。透过与人同行，你也可以获得新的视角，避免陷入自身问题的深渊。

我们的世界会否被机器主宰，以致人与人之间不再有直接互动？混合／家庭工作模式和网购，会否彻底改变我们的商业环境？世界会否发生另一场全球大战或疫症？我们的确不知道世界的未来发展会如何，但若能坚持上述身心社灵发展的永恒原则，在这不断变幻的世代里，我们仍可不懈地持守忠诚和健康。


撰文／苏逸东Christian（英语团契）
翻译／丘子彬牧师（Jeffrey）


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Living a Healthy & Faithful Life in an ever-changing world 

Global pandemics, armed conflicts, the prevalence of online retail, Hybrid office work modes, artificial intelligence tools… these are just a few trends observed in our macro environment these past 5 years that have influenced the way we use our resources, relate to one another and contribute to our society. As a career youth/working adult, how are we to live a healthy and faithful life amidst these changes? 

Changes in my environment have never been a new concept to me. During my university years abroad, I have been trained to cope with change every 4 months during my co-op work program. My program requires students to study on campus for 4 months, look for an internship job, and relocate to work in the following 4 months. The whole cycle repeats throughout the 5-year degree. Every time I move to a new city, I usually look for 3 main things in addition to accommodation: a local fitness centre, church and library. By taking care of my physical, spiritual, social & intellectual needs, I strived to remain a healthy lifestyle while away from family in HK and develop some sort of resilience to change. 

Since graduation, I have been working in HK for the past 14 years, and in the past 4 years witnessed the changes brought by COVID-19. Disruptions to regular church and work life really made me ponder what life is all about. With so much uncertainty and social isolation, what could I hold on to minimize stress which disrupts health? By God’s grace I didn’t catch COVID during the city lockdown period, but is that sufficient to be considered healthy? 

By WHO’s definition: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

By the above definition, the absence of illness seems to be only the beginning of health. During the lockdown, living a healthy life to maintain vitality looked something like this for me: 
1.Weekly Boardgames night with family members. (Social) 
2.Making a habit to attend & support regular online zoom fellowship sessions/online sermons/worship. (Spiritual) 
3.Taking up cooking new recipes to de-stress from working at home. (Intellectual) 
4.Taking up solo Cycling or Jogging near residence. (Physical) 

In both my university & career years, I’ve learnt that vitality is something that you gain by purposely investing your energy. The more you hold back the more miserable you become. For example, throwing out a message to ask how a person is nourishes your soul. Forcing yourself to do exercise benefits your physical energy levels. 

The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 11:24-25 "One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

This willpower comes not from self, but from habits & values accumulated over the course of a young adult’s development. Therefore, it is important that personal values are built on long lasting unchanging principles about life. 

For intellectual development the principle can be to give glory to God through fruitful use of intellect/mind giving Personal Best at all times. 

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 from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col 3:23-24)

In the above passage, we do our best not to please others, whose requirements can change depending on the person & his/her relationship to you. When you use your intellect for a God who transcends situations with an eternal timeframe, you too can look beyond pleasing others and focus on displaying God’s attributes of love & care in whatever you do. For example, when your existing colleagues leave the company and new ones come, you should take the same dedication to care for the new colleagues and build them up. By doing this you are reacting calmly to the situation of staff departures, not focusing on your losses but keep doing the work of God with all your heart. 

For me, the principle of working with all your heart means that as long as you can do your best & display God’s attributes in your current career position, you don’t need to worry about whether you should change careers at this instant. Of course, if you feel you can do greater things in a new platform/company, you may prayerfully seek it. 

For spiritual development, the principle could be to do the work of Christians, which is to know Jesus in his Character and know his Will for our lives. 

“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29)

To do your best for God, you need to know God’s character so you can emulate and be able to get through changing situations with unchangeable principles.  Once you don’t know God & His Will, you won’t have the eternal motivation to stay peaceful in changing life situations. For example, when you know that Jesus loves you enough to forgive your trespasses on the cross, you won’t dwell in your failures and have the strength to keep doing His Work. On the other hand, you know that God hates sin so you would naturally not want to offend Him once you’ve experienced His truth & working principles. 

For physical development, you give glory to God through increased physical strength to labor for Him. “Honor God with your bodies” (1Cor 6:20)

This would be the driving principle for you to go to the gym or do physical activity. When you love God enough, you’d be driven to honor Him with your body & witness to those around you in this aspect.

For social development, the principle can be to give glory to God by accompanying others in their life walk & showing His love. “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)

People are social creatures and the best way to combat change is to walk together. By walking together with others, you can gain new perspectives and avoid dwelling too deep in your problems. 

Will our world be so dominated by robots/machines that people won’t be interacting directly with each other? Will hybrid/homework modes & online retail completely change our cityscape without places of commerce? Will there be World War 3 and another global pandemic? While we might not know what the future holds in terms of our world’s development, if we hold onto eternal principles for intellectual, spiritual, social & physical development of self as discussed above I believe that we can have long lasting motivation to remain faithful and healthy amidst an ever-changing world.


Christian So 苏逸东（English Fellowship）