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A Christian Approach to Getting Stuff Done

This is Redeeming Productivity, a blog and podcast, where we talk about technology, techniques, and theology in the light of the Bible, to help Christians get more done and glorify God in how they do it.

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Busyness has become a dirty word. It shouldn't be. I've been thinking a lot about this since my conversation with Jordan Raynor on the podcast. Being busy can be a good thing. It means you're actually doing something with your time, stewarding your life toward some purpose. There is something very satisfying about having "a full day." It's not the outward busyness that's the problem. The problem is when we become hurried. As the quote says, busyness is an outward condition, but hurry is a problem of the soul. Because it's when we are hurried that we neglect our relationships, time with God, and our health. Hurry stems from a heart of striving, a soul not content to rest in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should be faithful stewards of our time, and in some seasons that may look like being really busy. But we must keep a watchful eye on our hearts. Is my busyness driven by a heart eager to serve the Lord and others? Or is it discontentment, anxiety, and fear pushing me to strain beyond our limits, and not to rely on God?
The Redeeming Productivity podcast returns today for season 3. In this week's episode, I talk to @jordanraynor about his new book Redeeming Your Time, saying no generously, how the life of Jesus is a model of unhurried busyness, and Jordan’s most effective strategy for turning down the noise in your life so you can focus on what matters most. Just search for "Redeeming Productivity" on your podcast player to listen to the episode.
One of the most pernicious lies that productive Christians can imbibe is the lie that our accomplishments define us. This lie can show up in how we pursue our goals, our motivations, or the moments we berate ourselves up for failing. The amazing truth I must constantly remind myself of is that my accomplishments don’t define me. Christ’s accomplishments define me. My pursuit of productive labor is not a search for an identity but an expression of my true identity in Christ. I want to work hard not to earn something, but because I’m worshipping someone in how I work.
Be faithful today.
As Christians, we should seek to be a blessing to our employers. One easy way to do that as a remote worker is by proactively communicating. Put yourself in your boss’s shoes for a moment. He or she is responsible to someone for your output, but they cannot see you. They have no idea what you’re doing with your time. And at the same time, they probably don’t want to constantly be nagging you for updates. It’s a tough spot to be in. What a great chance to serve them well and save yourself a lot of grief! All you need to do is be a proactive communicator. Here are a few ways you can be a proactive communicator: • At the beginning of the week, message your boss and say, “Here are my top 3 items for the week, anything I should add or remove?” • When you need a break, don’t sneak away, give them a heads up. “Hey I need to clear my head. I’m going to go walk the dog around the block. I’ll be offline for the next 15 minutes.” • When you mess up, communicate it as soon as possible. Don’t leave them in the dark. “I goofed up. I’m double-booked for our 1 o’clock, can we move it?” In the age of remote work, a proactive communicator is a blessing to their employer.
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
Remote work is awesome but it brings with it certain temptations. • Slacking off • Bending the truth • Faking an "online" status when you're really golfing How can we make sure we're working "as unto the Lord" even when no one's around? A couple of thoughts on integrity while working from home: 1. Remote Work Reveals The problem isn’t that remote work makes us lazy or liars. If you want to fake working hard in real life, you can. Remote work just makes it easier to get away with. In that way, it just reveals what was already in our hearts. 2. Working from the Heart God calls us to "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Col. 3:23–24). When your main objective is to please God in your work, integrity comes naturally. 3. What About Everyone Else? An easy way to justify a lack of integrity while working from home is that everyone does it. It can be frustrating when slackers get rewarded, while your hard work goes unnoticed. But God notices. Because God sees the heart. “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 Those who work from the heart don’t take shortcuts because they know God has an unblinking birds-eye view of the racetrack. So, when it comes to remote work integrity, get the heart right and the how will follow. I wrote more about this on the blog. Link in bio.
I love being a Christian.
Disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality. John C. Maxwell
Innovation is a product of volume.
Let fellowship with the Almighty be the bookends of your day.
It is not your hold of Christ that saves you—it is Christ. – Charles Spurgeon

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