Don’t Idolize Productivity
I had a goal of writing an article today on the topic of preaching to yourself, as it’s been something I’ve been thinking about lately.
Try as I might, though, the writing did not come easy and I felt like the article was trash. After a day of reading, pondering, thinking, talking to friends about this idea, I found myself praying in disappointment “God, I wanted to be productive today”.
A Subtle Danger
Was my day wasted? I don’t think so. I believe a subtle danger in our western world is the idolization of efficiency and productivity in the short term.
We’ve lost the art of wrestling, thinking over a topic from top to bottom, and leaving the proverbial shop “with work still to be done”. Not every day will conclude with a finished product. And as our jobs and world has moved from more manual labor where you could leave the shop and see the desk you were building had progressed, or the leather you were crafting, looking more like a jacket, It’s much more difficult in the modern age with computers, excel sheets, and notifications, to feel like you’ve been productive in a day if you don’t have something to show for it.
Productivity is not measured in “do I have a finished product at the end of the work day”. No, that’s far too short of a perspective. John Piper is helpful here, speaking on productivity:
I told Noël last night, [his wife] “Did you know that we’re at 1,500 Ask Pastor John episodes?” And she laughed and said, “Just like reading 15 minutes a day.” Because she remembered the fact that, for many seasons of my life, being a slow reader, I’ve said, “Okay, I’m going to read a huge novel. I’m going to do it at 15 minutes a day.” And I still do things like that. I take a little chop every day at something, and the tree is going to fall. You pick up a good axe, and you take regular chops, you will make good progress.
If you have to see a tree fall every time you pick up an axe, you will spend your life on little projects. There are great trees worth turning into beautiful houses that can only be brought down by a thousand small, faithful chops. -https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/seven-lessons-for-productivity
Little chops
We feel we must finish things quickly, daily. I fear that this is dangerous for all, but particularly Christian workers. Why? Because we want to be good stewards of our lives, money, energy, and talents. If our view of being productive is measured in too small a time-span, like Piper says, we will never do anything grand for the Kingdom of God.
We will never go to seminary. We will never disciple someone over the length of years. We will never build a website to help people, we will never start a non-profit, we will never plant a church, we will never parent well, you will never do the unique, grand thing that God has called you to. Why? Because you feel you must have something completed at the end of the day, which leaves you no room for large projects.
Bleeds into relationships
This mentality easily translates into our relationship with God. As if checking the box of your daily bible reading means you spent meaningful time with God. It’s easy to be productive in the Christian life and equate that to deep fellowship with God.
The Pharisees were “spiritually productive” and yet their hearts were far from God. We can check off our daily quiet time box and feel like since we’ve been spiritually productive for the day, God is pleased and we are pursuing Him. But productivity does not equal meaningful in the Christian devotional life.
Do we think we have to have these truly meaningful moments every day? These mountain top experiences of ecstasy every day, or else we aren’t being productive in our quiet times? Do I have to read the Bible in a year, or else I’m a bad Christian? Do I have to finish a large devotional book in a month?
We don’t look at any other relationship through the eyes of productivity, but with God, we are prone to. In fact, most people who have been friends or married for more than 20 years will tell you, some seasons are simply mundane and normal. Be careful that our western world doesn’t distort the way you view the health of your relationship with God. As if your fellowship and closeness with him is contingent upon your spiritual productivity in a single day.
Every day, no matter how normal it feels, spending time with God in His word and in prayer is a small chop at the tree of cultivating a deep joy in Him. Trust the daily process. 15 minutes a day spent with God over a lifetime is how you live a faithful Christian life. Daily chops, not simply a bunch of chops on Sunday.
So what about my article?
I did a lot of good work on my article. It’s not done. It needs some major rework and a new coat of paint. I need to turn it over a few more times in my mind and pray about it more. But that’s ok. I believe it will be better because I did not rush it. I took some good chops at the tree, but it’s a sturdy one and will take time.
Let us be people who seek to be good stewards of our lives. Productivity is a good thing that all Christians are called to, both in our work and in our love for God. But don’t assume that means productivity in the short-term, for the Christian life is a marathon. Your value before God is not tied to your productivity at work nor your productivity in your quiet times.
Application question
In what ways do you need to implement the “small chops” mentality into your Christian life? This could be in your mindset of quiet times, or reading a Christian book that seems overwhelming, or starting a weekly prayer time on Friday mornings for 10 minutes, or a thousand other creative ways.
Taking daily chops at loving God and stewarding my life well,
Josh.
