Quick reminder:
Today is the last day of the summer sale. All Redeeming Productivity courses are 50% off until 11:59 PM EDT tonight. Use code SUMMER2022 for the discount.
Dear steward,
When we talk about being productive we tend to focus only on the output—how much I got done. But as Christians, we must be careful of falling into this reductionist way of thinking.
Christian productivity is holistic.
What I mean is God doesn’t just care about the what but also the why and how of what you do.
It’s not enough that you got your work done today.
- Did you do it as an act of service to God?
- Did you do it with an attitude that was pleasing to Him?
One way to think about it is to picture Christian productivity as consisting of three layers:
- Internal character
- External obedience
- Practical effectiveness
These layers make up the why (internal character), the how (practical obedience), and the what (practical effectiveness).
There should be a natural progression from our internal character, as it is renewed by Christ Christ day-by-day, leading to external obedience to His commands. As we walk with Him, reading the Word, praying, and fellowshipping with the saints, we naturally desire to obey Him.
And as a byproduct of these two comes practical effectiveness in our work—or what we tend to call productivity. In a desire to be like God we begin working with more integrity, paying closer attention to the details, and taking pride in the work of our hands.
In other words, what the world thinks of as the content of productivity is just the tip of the iceberg.
So as helpful as tips, tools, and tricks are to productivity, the main focus must be on our hearts. As we focus on walking with God each day, our internal character will be transformed, which blossoms in external obedience, and overflows in practical effectiveness.
Focus on the root and you’ll get the fruit.
✨ New on Redeeming Productivity
🎙History of the Christian Productivity Movement with David Kaywood (55 mins)
In this episode, I talk with David Kaywood, Senior Associate Pastor of Eastside Community Church and the creator of Gospel Relevance. David is a fellow Christian productivity aficionado and in our conversation, we discuss what makes Christian productivity unique and trace the history of the movement that’s redefining how believers get things done for the glory of God.
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Redeeming Productivity Show so you don’t miss an episode.
🧑💻The Roundup
Coming Out as Christian at Work (4 mins)
“‘What’s the most important decision you’ve made in your life?’” Well, mine was the day I began to follow Jesus, but I wasn’t expected to share that in front of a bunch of strangers at a business event, was I?”
(Denise Yohn / The Gospel Coalition)
The Optimal iPhone Settings and Best Apps for Productivity, Focus, and Health (75 mins)
Lately, I’ve been on a quest to lower my screen time. So far, I’ve been seeing good results, but this week, I revisited this classic article to try and further optimize my phone to be more of a tool and less of a distraction.
(Tony Stubblebine)
Why Don’t I Care? Steps to Overcoming Spiritual Apathy (6 mins)
“Some of us may find ourselves in the midst of a long stretch of feeling fairly indifferent about the things of God. We know that Bible reading, prayer, church involvement, missions, evangelism, and many other means of grace should capture our hearts, but we just can’t seem to get excited about them.”
(Uche Anizor / Desiring God)
TikTok and the Fall of the Social-Media Giants (7 mins)
TikTok is awful, but it might do us all a favor by actually killing Facebook.
“Facebook is trying to copy TikTok, but this strategy may well signal the end of these legacy platforms.“
(Cal Newport / The New Yorker)
The 6 best habit tracker apps in 2022 (11 mins)
“I considered, researched, and tested almost 40 apps for this article—and here are the six best habit trackers.”
(Harry Guinness / Zapier Blog)
🖋Quote of the Week
To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him the greatest human achievement.”
– Augustine
Resurfaced with Readwise.
🤠 Pardners*
- Protect your soul with screen accountability software. Try Covenant Eyes free for 30-days with promo code “ROSE”
- Redeem your commute by listening to audiobooks from Audible. Listen free for one month.
- I use Freedom every day to block distracting apps and websites across all my devices so I can get more done.
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⌛️That’s all for this Week
Hit reply to send me link suggestions for future issues or just to say hey.
I’ll see you next time!
– Reagan
