I’m sure many of you have read The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. Concise, well-written, and definitely inspired by God, it will help you. Period.
However, my goal today is not to plug the book (at least not for free!), but to draw out one of the many, many profound statements Dr. Warren makes: “never confuse activity with productivity”.
This is likely common knowledge for most of us in leadership, and it’s certainly common sense, but that doesn’t mean we all apply it consistently in our lives. In fact, I’d be willing to guess that for most of us, no matter how much we understand the concept, it’s probably something we need to rededicate ourselves to quite frequently.
How do I know that? Because one of the devil’s most successful strategies is to fill up our time with junk that just doesn’t matter. The apostle Paul is a perfect example of this. Prior to becoming a Christian, Paul was very busy about the things of his religion. He makes no qualms about admitting he was a Hebrew of Hebrews and faultless in his legalistic pursuit of the law (Phil 3:5-6).
Unfortunately, that got him no closer to God, and it certainly didn’t earn him salvation. Observance of God’s law may be a good thing, but it does not draw us nearer to Him. God established His law because He understands the destructive nature of sin, and how it increases the gap between Him and His beloved children. In Paul’s case—as with many of the Pharisees—their legalistic approach to following the rules had the opposite effect: it was making that gap even wider!
Jesus clarified this concept when He visited Mary and Martha. In doing so, I believe He also established a pattern of behavior for our daily lives that we’re to follow, in effect, creating a sort of mission statement for us. You know the story. Martha was busy taking care of her guests, but her sister Mary—instead of helping her—“sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.” After Martha complained about having to do all the work, Jesus responded by saying, “Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).
So if this principle applies to our relationship with God, it certainly must also apply to our everyday lives. As we draw closer to the end times, it seems our time and energy are constantly being sucked away by pointless endeavors. It’s imperative as Christians—and Christian leaders especially—that we approach our daily lives with a sense of purpose, and focus on what’s most important. Dr. Warren tells us “there is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose,” and the example he offers is none other than Paul, who went from being a Hebrews of Hebrews to “almost single-handedly [spreading] Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.”
So…do you want to be a history-maker like Paul? Or maybe you just want a little more peace and joy in your life. Either way, I believe a couple strategies—if put into practice consistently—will help you.
- Develop a mission statement. Every company has one to keep them on track, and so should you. This should not be taken lightly, but something you prayerfully consider over the course of a few days or weeks.
- Develop specific goals that are in line with your mission statement. Break these down into chewable chunks, so every day you take just a few small steps toward the larger weekly and monthly goals.
- Evaluate and re-evaluate your goals to ensure they are not counter-productive. In other words, don’t be a Pharisee!
- Identify and eliminate tasks that waste your time and energy. Set boundaries with your friends and loved ones, and don’t be afraid to say, “no.” Remember, God says, “speak the truth in love,” and that concept applies here. Not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings is not a good reason to do something. Dr. Warren says, “I don’t know all the keys to success, but one key to failure is to try to please everyone.”
- Relax! God is in control, and if you don’t get 148 things accomplished today, He won’t panic. He had things under control long before you showed up, and while He appreciates your desire and passion, He can handle the universe without you. (Sorry to burst your bubble!)
OK, so I didn’t rock anyone’s world with that list, but I bet it’s a good refresher. We all need a reality check once in awhile, so I hope I at least made you think.
*All quotes from The Purpose-Driven Life were taken from Chapter 3: What Drives Your Life?
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