Dear steward,
Have you ever known a believer who seems to have it all together?
They’re consistent in their devotions, seem to find purpose in their work—even in trials—and they seem able to cope with the chaos of life in a way you admire.
Meanwhile, your life seems constantly on the verge of falling apart. You read your Bible, but only in fits and spurts. And you pray before meals but otherwise don’t make a sincere habit of it. You want to be organized and faithful to your commitments, but things keep falling through the cracks. You’ve trusted in Christ, but sometimes, you feel like you’re just adrift.
That’s exactly how I felt in my 20s.
I desperately wanted a close relationship with the Lord, to be faithful in fulfilling my commitments, and to have a sense of clarity and purpose to compel me forward. But it always seemed to elude me.
The frustrating thing was that I believed the right things!
I wanted the right things!
But no matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to get my act together enough to consistently perform the actions I knew would help me grow in my faith, organize my life, and follow the proper habits.
It took me a long time to realize that faithful Christian living involves not only believing the right things but also acting on those beliefs.
It’s a matter of taking responsibility.
One of the biggest missing elements in many Christian lives is that they have not built systems for faithfulness.
As I got closer to those the kind of believers who seemed to have it all together, I discovered a few things:
- One, they didn’t have it together as much as I thought!
- Second, it was all held together by a deep faith in Christ. But it was the third thing that surprised me.
- Third, they had structure to their lives. They had clear priorities, organized systems, and consistent habits that enabled them to be the kind of steady, reliable believers that I so admired.
And I couldn’t just excuse it as a personality thing, either. Sure, some people are given to be more organized, but when it comes down to it, I realized that what I was observing was simply believers who had taken responsibility for their lives. And that’s something we’re all called to.
If I wanted to be the kind of person God had called me to be, it meant not just believing the right things. It also meant putting those beliefs into action and taking responsibility. And that involves doing some very practical things that don’t look all that spiritual from the outside.
- I clearly articulated my priorities so I could say no to distractions and yes to more important things.
- I organized my commitments and started managing my time to be a person of my word, follow through on my promises, and execute my goals.
- I also built habits that forced me to be in communion with the Lord daily, take care of this body He’s entrusted to me, love my neighbors, and make progress on my God-honoring goals.
Because faithfulness doesn’t happen by accident.
It starts with taking responsibility and then availing yourself of the means God has given us to grow. The means of grace in His church and the Word, but also the common grace means of good habits and simple systems.
Is it easy?
No.
But it’s possible.
And the changes the Lord has made in my life in the past 10–15 years testify to that—as well as those we’ve seen in lives of members in the Redeeming Productivity Academy these past three years.
So, the good news is that change is possible.
And the even better news is that God wants to help you change.
Your life doesn’t have to feel like it’s constantly spinning out of control. You can have clarity of purpose, goals you set and reach, and habits you actually stick with.
But it starts with taking responsibility.
As we approach a new year, I encourage you to take that responsibility seriously. To work in His power and under His grace, to become more faithful in the various domains He has called you to steward—a more faithful husband, wife, or child, a more faithful worker in your vocation, more faithful in your finances, more faithful in your rest and recreation.
Don’t let 2025 be another year of stagnation.
Let it be the year you look back on a decade from now and say, “That was the year I got serious. That was the year I took responsibility for my growth. That was the year that changed everything.”
It is my sincere hope and prayer you’ll take up that call.
I created Redeeming Productivity to help believers develop the essential skills of time management and personal productivity to lead lives that most magnify Christ.
And it’s why I’ve recently completely redesigned the curriculum of Redeeming Productivity Academy.
So, if you want more guidance and support as you seek to grow in the new year, I’d encourage you to check out the free trial of RPA and dive into our brand-new Waypoints to Well Done curriculum.
Either way, I hope to continue to serve you in some way as you pursue faithful stewardship in every area of life in 2025 and beyond.
Because faithfulness doesn’t happen by accident.
