Productivity
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
Prov 14:23 (KJV)
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth
his lips is wise.
Prov 10:19 (KJV)
But foolish and
unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
2 Tim 2:23 (KJV)
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand:
for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether
they both shall be alike good.
Eccl 11:6 (KJV)
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the
clouds shall not reap.
Eccl 11:4 (KJV)
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
Prov 20:4 (KJV)
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Eph 5:15-17 (KJV)
All these
scriptures give important principles about achieving real productivity. Let’s
view a summary of the principles:
À
In
all work there is some type of profit (benefit, lessons, reward)
À
Mere
talking leads to poverty
À
Where
there is a lot of talking, sin isn’t absent
À
It’s
wise to shut your mouth (and stay focused)
À
Don’t
debate foolish questions—they just end up worthless arguments
À
Work
in the morning and at night, don’t let your hands be ilde (I’ve found that it’s
pleasant to find “nonthinking work” like working with your hands—organizing,
packaging, leatherworking, etc…at night
À
You
don’t know which of your labors may be most profitable—so be diligent!
À
If
you look at the wind or clouds, you won’t go to work. Roll up your sleeves and
work!
À
The
lazy man doesn’t plow (work) because it is cold, so when harvest comes he has
nothing and will be reduced to begging
À
Walk
Wisely
À
Redeem
(by back, use wisely) your time
À
Understand
what the Lord’s will is (you must stay in close fellowship with Him and be a
diligent student of the Word to do this)
I love productive
days—writing a book in a day, editing and publishing a couple of minibooks in
day, getting five lawns cut after 10 hours of diligent labor, reorganizing my
Amazon/Ebay online garage sale stock, getting a Devo Blast issue prepared and scheduled
to email out… You probably know what I mean. I remember a time in college when
I accomplished about 15 major tasks in one day—the Lord gave me such
productivity.
Now, to have
productive days there is not special formula. Certain days are just more
productive than others. Two factors are very important though: planning and
diligence. I believe planning and re-evaluating the plan is important, but it
is not nearly as important as diligence. Diligence is keeping going when it
gets tough. Now, I know that there are times to take a rest and even step away
from something for a while—you need that if you’re going to be balanced, but
there is something simply almost “magical” about just being diligent—stuff gets
done.
