三十年前，我參加了一個求職工作坊的活動，至今仍記憶猶新。在活動中，主持人要求我和其他同樣被裁員的同事們，寫下退休感言。什麼？我們是來找工作的，離退休還早得很呢！但主持人表明寫下退休感言的目的，她說：「你的退休感言很可能跟你的工作無關。」她向我們解釋，工作並不是我們生命的中心。雖然我們或許還在為失業而哀傷，但我們生命的意義遠超過擁有一份工作。

創世記對亞伯拉罕晚年的描述，讓我想起那次在活動中的體會。亞伯拉罕「壽高年老，享盡天年」（25章8節，新譯本）。在整本聖經中，我們經常讀到亞伯拉罕忠心遵循上帝的教導，但我們卻很少讀到關於他工作的論述。這位族長展現的信心（創世記15章6節），讓我想到在傳道書中，那位傳道者在思索生命的意義，以及人在工作或勞碌中如何享福之後（傳道書2章24-25節），得出結論說：「上帝喜悅誰，就給誰智慧、知識，和喜樂。」（26節）

即使是處於失業所帶來的失落及焦慮期間，思考亞伯拉罕的例子，以及傳道者的話語，仍能讓我們得到幫助。這些都提醒我們，只有在上帝裡面才能得到真正的滿足。

Thirty years ago, I participated in an activity at an unemployment workshop that I still remember today. My fellow laid-off coworkers and I were asked to write our retirement speeches. Huh? We were looking for work and far from retirement age. But the facilitator revealed the purpose of the activity by saying, “Your speech will probably have little to do with your work.” She explained to us that a job really isn’t the center of our lives. And while we may be grieving the loss of a job, our lives mean much more than being employed.

The details about the end of Abraham’s life remind me of this lesson. He died at a “ripe old age” and had lived a “long and satisfying life” (Genesis 25:8 nlt). Throughout Scripture, we read about Abraham’s faithfulness in following God’s instructions, but we don’t read much about his work. The faith the patriarch displayed (15:6) reminds me of the Teacher’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes: “To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness” (2:26). The Teacher said this after considering the meaning of life and how one can find enjoyment in the midst of work or toil (vv. 24-25).

Even during times of loss and anxiety brought by unemployment, it’s helpful to reflect on Abraham’s example and the Teacher’s words—pointing us to true satisfaction found only in God.