Comments on: Does Productivity Hurt the Gospel?

By: Stephen Altrogge

Stephen Altrogge — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:54:01 +0000

Thanks Brando, that’s really helpful. I always knew the solution was something simple like that.

By: B. Minich

B. Minich — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:04:25 +0000

Stephen,

Here’s the ultimate GTD website.

http://productiveblog.tumblr.com/

By: Stephen Altrogge

Stephen Altrogge — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:01:18 +0000

Wow, that’s rough! Sorry that happened in a church!

By: Stephen Altrogge

Stephen Altrogge — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:00:21 +0000

Chad, what priorities did you change and how did you change them?

By: Chad Prigmore

Chad Prigmore — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:09:53 +0000

Great post Stephen,

The GTD idea seems to be a huge fad right now. The struggle for efficiency is everywhere. But God seems to speak to us in the quiet times, so they are the most important times of all.

I forget who it was exactly, but a Jewish writer in the Old Testament times wrote that a good artisan should be able to finish his tasks in three or four hours so that he can spend the rest of the day in communion with God. To them, time with God was the day’s priority – not doing as much work as humanly possible.

The eight hour work day is a product of the industrial revolution that we have all been raised to accept as a necessity. That’s where the guilt comes from in taking time to rest. To me it had to be a complete change in priorities that I didn’t even realize I had.

By: Stephen Altrogge

Stephen Altrogge — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:49 +0000

Aaron – Yeah, I agree. Functionally however, GTD doesn’t work like that for me. In theory it’s supposed to help me be confident when I take a break. However, it doesn’t take away the ‘feeling’ that I always should be doing something. I think some long extended meditation on the gospel will help me there…

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:01:52 +0000

Stephen,

I echo your post, but so does David Allen (of “Getting Things Done”). The whole point is to manage your workflow in such a way that you are able to make the right choices about what to do. That is, we need rest, (as taught throughout Scripture with some of the passages highlighted above), and sometimes the very best thing we can do is take a walk with our spouse and/or kids, or relax with a good fiction book (reading “Peace Like a River” right now with my wife and loving it!).

GTD isn’t the gospel, but it does address your problem with a resounding “amen”!. We should be able to manage our work (corporate and personal) in such a way that we have the confidence that whatever we are doing is exactly what we should be doing. That way we can take a nap in the middle of the day (for one example) GUILT FREE and know that that is the absolute best thing we could do with that 20 minutes, especially as oftentimes this helps us to be more productive the rest of the day. Make sense?

I think CJ’s posts on productivity were very helpful along this regard as well.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:54 +0000

Stephen – Great post. Thank you for serving me by pondering this relevant topic. I can identify with the “guilty” feeling when I sit down to rest. I feel like I could/should be doing more – reading a book, studying, calling a parishioner, etc. Thanks for the kind reminder that God gives us the gift of rest and we need to relax in that from time to time.

By: Pattie

Pattie — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:52:33 +0000

I think the word itself speaks to this in Luke 10: Now as they went on their way, Jesus [4] entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. [5] Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Productivity is good, but our identity and deepest satisfaction should never be found in it, but in our relationship and enjoyment of our Savior and King.

By: js

js — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:43:14 +0000

Many people stay busy because they are feel empty and wanting when they are not accomplishing things. Although it can look like diligence, hard work can also be a cover-up for a restless soul when all is quiet.

What a gift it is to sit, relax, and know that we are forever in God’s favor because of the Gospel; to rejoice that the Sovereign of the Universe takes eternal delight in his bride that he saved to eternally enjoy worshipping Him!