The Productivity Boom
In recent years I’ve seen a deluge of productivity books, apps, and blogs. I would go far as to say that there is a productivity culture and industry, dedicated to maximizing our efficiency as employees, human beings, and in our relationships. I’m guessing that millions, perhaps billions are spent by companies and individuals trying to squeeze every last drop out of us in that perennial pursuit of money, glory, and personal happiness. In the Christian and ministry world, this mindset translates to maximizing our time and energy towards Christ and His mission in the most efficient way possible.
At first glance, adopting this lifestyle seems like a no-brainer. I attribute this to our Protestant work ethic and capitalist culture. This mindset tends to be inherent in the worldview of the west, and on the whole, I think it’s better than the alternatives. Hard work and industry built upon the Judea-Christian ethic have brought the human race lightyears ahead of where we were even just 200 years ago, where the middle class was basically nonexistent and most of the world was poor, sick, and died much younger [for more on this, read the fascinating book, The Poverty of Nations]. I used to live in subsaharan Africa, a region without this heritage, and I try to explain to people that it’s like stepping back in time 200 years, except there are cell phones and cars. The region, and most of the continent, is still ravaged by problems that the west and some industrialized parts of Asia have long forgotten. I suspect that even the most ardent individual in the west who is suspicious of modern medicine and mass food production might reconsider their position if they spent any amount of time in my old neighborhood.
A Personal Story
But this post isn’t about geographical economics, it’s about the concept of productivity and its place within the Christian life and worldview. My concern is that we might adopt the hustle culture without examining exactly what it is we’re signing up for. My purpose isn’t to eliminate or even diminish the contributions that hard work and living a productive life will bring. But years ago I found myself chasing the phantom of more productivity, and many days I stopped and wondered what exactly I was pursuing.
To my great embarrassment, I went through a period of trying out just about anything that would help me produce “more.” I downloaded time management apps, read the latest productivity books, and made sure that I had found the perfect system for getting things done. I’ve tried GTD, Personal Kanban, Pomodoro, etc. The cycle was predictable: grow tired of one system, adopt another, get excited about the new system and how it would solve all of my productivity issues, get bored, and try a new system. Thankfully I had people in my life who pointed out this vicious cycle, and I was able to take several steps back to evaluate what I was doing.
A Restless Heart
I had to admit to myself that my heart was restless, and that seeking this illusory goal of more productivity would never satisfy. Augustine still has the last word here: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” No amount of efficiency or production, even if it’s done in God’s name, will ever be able to replace God Himself. We must learn this lesson over and over until we see glory. The only thing that changes is what we think will satisfy us instead of God. If you follow me around for any amount of time, you will see the opening line of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses on full display: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.” I will be repenting of sin until I see Jesus.
A Relentless Culture
Our culture is to blame as well. The very same forces that drive production are led by a marketing system designed to make us feel uneasy and unhappy with our current situation. This year’s iPhone is old news, even if it was just released 6 months ago. I must have the new one even if it just has marginally better features, and then life will be livable. Insert any product here, and you’ll see that this is the perpetual cycle. I don’t think this will come as a surprise to anyone. What I think catches us unaware is how this mindset penetrates our hearts and minds to other things, like productivity models and even ministry tools. We are bombarded with advertisements that create discontent with how little we think we are getting done, or how much bigger or successful our church could be, and so we chase the latest app or conference, assured that we can achieve more if we just have [insert product.] Eugene H. Peterson said it best over 30 years ago in Under the Unpredictable Plant:
“Propagandists are abroad in the land lying to us about what congregations are and can be. They are lying for money. They want to make us discontent with what we are doing so we will buy a solution from them that they promise will restore virility to our impotent congregations.” (p. 17)
When the reality is that,
“Pastoral work consists of modest, daily, assigned work. It is like farm work. Most pastoral work involves routines similar to cleaning out the barn, mucking out the stalls, spreading manure, pulling weeds.” (p. 15)
Peterson’s writings helped me (and many others) to see the ways in which the cultural blinders of North American church culture had blinded me. Reading it now, I can see how I have been repeatedly duped.
True Productivity
Years ago I noticed a passage in 2 Peter that I think applies to our current cultural obsession with productivity. I’m doing a sentence outline so you can see the flow of thought:
2Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of
sinful desire.
5 For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement
your faith with virtue,
and virtue with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness,
and steadfastness with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being
ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can divide this passage, like many in the New Testament Epistles, into theology and practice. Peter explains the context of our salvation: God’s grace in providing us with every assistance we need in the Christian life, built upon an intimate knowledge of God and the true promises of the gospel. We partake of the divine nature (a subject for another post), and experience the freedom of a new life that can be different from the corrupting influence of the world. An amazing foundation!
What True Productivity Might Look Like
Standing on this foundation, we pursue Christian character, summarized in love and worked out in the qualities described. And then comes the part that speaks into the heart of hustle culture: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v.8) Let’s be clear, what is promised here is not abundance and prosperity, as if living a virtuous life was any guarantee of that (many times it’s the opposite). What’s promised here is that if we pursue Christian character from the secure foundation of grace, we will contribute the right things to the cause of Christ. Our actions will naturally flow from the rich well of God’s work in our heart.
These actions might not meet the world’s definition of success, or even Christian culture’s definition of success. It might be walking with one suffering person until their dying day, faithfully meeting their needs. It might mean shepherding a small congregation faithfully, giving full attention to the needs of the flock. Or it might mean showing up in a 9-5 office, giving testimony to the Risen Christ through consistent acts of love and kindness.
I am not of course disparaging an efficiency tune-up. I would say that we are living in a wonderful time of having access to tools and resources that help us get our jobs done in ways previous generations only dreamed about. But the relentless pursuit of productivity is not the end game, but to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourself. In that light, productivity is a good servant, but a lousy master.
[Note: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]