The beginning of a New Year is a great time to review our productivity practices to be sure we are making the best use of the time. Below is the PDF to a little booklet I wrote entitled Biblical Productivity. It is the culmination of a series of posts I’ve posted over the last few months, and it contains many of the best lessons I’ve learned about honoring God with my productivity from some of the best authors I know…
Only God gets his to‐do list done each day. This simple sentence informs how I begin my day, what I expect to accomplish during the day, and how I close each day. When I step out of my office and turn the light off at the end of my day, and the list of to‐dos is incomplete, I say to myself, “Well, we will try again tomorrow.” This brief statement is an acknowledgment of my limitations, and is my way…
As the typical day unfolds, the unexpected expectedly happens. With one eye on the clock and another on our schedule, we can often watch our planning derail throughout the day. And as I realize my plans for the day will not be flawlessly executed, my soul has a tendency to be weighed down by accumulating cares. But rather than humbling myself as I should, I find myself vulnerable to self‐sufficiency, at risk of relying upon my limited strength and wisdom….
At the beginning of the biblical productivity series, I stated that busyness is no sign of diligence, faithfulness, or fruitfulness. And that is because busyness does not indicate that we are devoting ourselves to the most important things. We can become busy with everything under the sun except fulfilling the roles God has assigned for us. And no matter how busy I appear, if I am neglecting one of my primary roles, I am a procrastinator, spinning in unproductive circles….
In the previous post in this series, I explained the personal goals that flow from my most important relationship: my relationship with God. Because that relationship is a priority, my goal is to practice the spiritual disciplines as a way of communing with God and acknowledging my dependence upon him. This goal shows up in my schedule as I protect my morning devotional time. Today we begin to explore biblical productivity in my relationships with others, particularly in my roles…