What happens when we worship productivity?
August 18-24, 2024 | Always Peachy Devotionals | Productivity Week 3
Flash fiction is fun.
It’s challenging, don’t get me wrong. If you aren’t familiar with flash fiction, basically it’s a complete story told in less than 1,000 words. To do it well takes a lot more time than you might think, but once you get into the habit of that kind of storytelling it’s much easier than full-length novels.
In only 1,000 words, you’re done. You’re finished. You can check it off your list and move on to the next project. Writing flash fiction scratches my productivity complex.
I like being productive. I like getting things done. It’s a great feeling to add to the accomplishments of my life or my team or my community. There’s something unifying in being able to say you were part of a group that’s known for being productive.
It’s satisfying. And that’s good. It’s good to find contentment in accomplishing things. It becomes a problem when you begin to find your identity in accomplishment.
It’s addicting, to be highly productive. It’s a marvelous feeling to be called a high performer or a high achiever. If you’re known as a person who can handle a lot and accomplish a lot and exceed expectations, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
But I guarantee you also know what it’s like when you can’t hit your targets. You know the depths of despair and depression you sink into when you aren’t able to complete your task list for the day.
If you have to be productive in order to consider yourself a worthwhile human being, you have begun to measure your value based on what you can get done in a given span of time. And, my friends, that is not how God sees you.
I used to push back on this idea that God loves me even when I don’t get anything done. That just didn’t seem moral. How could God love me if I didn’t accomplish anything in a day? How could God still be happy with me if I didn’t get things done? Surely He was up in heaven tapping His foot impatiently, waiting for me to get my butt in gear and stop being so lazy.
Think about that for a moment.
What gave me the idea that God needed me for anything?
How could I ever have thought God was dependent on me to accomplish His plans?
Yes, there are times when God is waiting on me to do something, but it’s never for His benefit. No part of His plan depends on my skill, talent, ability, or performance. And believing otherwise is my own pride telling me lies.
It’s actually something else: Idolatry.
Have you ever thought about how easily productivity can become something we worship?
When we place our identity in our productivity that’s exactly what we are doing. We are allowing our own accomplishments to determine our life’s worth, rather than listening to what God says. We replace God’s authority in our life with a task list.
You can be as productive as you want, but don’t kid yourself into thinking that can save your soul. You can earn as much money as you are able, but don’t be deceived; you can’t take it with you. And if you’ve invested all your time and energy in earthly accomplishments, what will you have in eternity?
That’s what we’re going to talk about this week. It’s more important than ever that believers learn to live with an eternal mindset, not just in our relationships but in our perspective on productivity. Because when we turn productivity into something we worship:
Monday - We burn ourselves out (1 Kings 19:7-9)
Tuesday - We make our identity about us (Luke 15:28-32)
Wednesday - We grow weary of everything (Matthew 11:28-30)
Thursday - We prioritize what doesn’t last (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
Friday - We reduce the significance of our lives (Psalm 115:8)
When I was studying this idea of productivity, I found a particular parable in the Book of Luke that really stood out to me. We’ll be talking about it this month, but one of the verses in that parable seemed to me to be a great memory verse, Luke 12:21.
The story of the Bible has always been about two choices, God’s way or our way. One way makes sense to us (I’m sure you can guess which one), and the other way seems impossible, unrelated, or off topic. But that’s where faith comes into the story.
On the surface, storing up riches and provisions and accomplishments on earth makes a ton of sense. But nothing you earn in this lifetime can go with you to eternity. Each person will enter eternity exactly the way we came into this life: with nothing.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t strive to earn a comfortable lifestyle for yourself or your family. That’s part of taking care of what God has given you. It’s part of being a good steward. But don’t let it become your identity. Don’t let productivity define you. Because the moment you begin to worship your task list, that’s the moment you’ll lose sight of what really matters.
Love you guys.
Amy
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