Here is the first section of the 17-part "series" on productivity by C.J. Mahaney.
A small excerpt from it...
"Recognizing the sin of procrastination, and broadening the definition to include busyness, has made a significant alteration in my life. The sluggard can be busy—busy neglecting the most important work, and busy knocking out a to-do list filled with tasks of secondary importance.
When considering our schedules, we have endless options. But there are a few clear priorities and projects, derived from my God-assigned roles, that should occupy the majority of my time during a given week. And there are a thousand tasks of secondary importance that tempt us to devote a disproportionate amount of time to completing an endless to-do list. And if we are lazy, we will neglect the important for the urgent....So join me over the next few days as we discover the root and nature of laziness, so that we might devote ourselves to biblical priorities and join our Savior in one day praying to the Father, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4, ESV)." -C.J. Mahaney
Wow, this is so convicting for me. I'm feeling very challenged to continue to have heart checks asking myself "what things are my primary importance? Am I living out my day in light of those?" Clearly, I am not in ways. Like with my family--I often find myself coming home, eating as I'm "starving" (yeah right, Andrea... you have no idea what "starving" is like), am crabbing towards my family, often multi-task while I'm talking to them, and respond in ways that are "snippy" and "prideful". Honestly, this is requiring a lot of humility to type because once, I hit "PUBLISH," there it is... out there... inevitably available for them or others to read and hold me accountable for and/or point out when it is happening. BUT, OH how I want to not be so ANDREA-FOCUSED! In times of reflection like this, it's important for me to not move forward with the mentality "okay, Andrea, fix it. Change" because I can't do that in my own strength. It may appear to be working for a short while or momentarily, but what I need primarily is inward changes to happen FOR those outward changes to occur. And this is where I MUST ASK for GOD'S GRACE to help me not be self-sufficient as I see my sin, but rather to rely on His grace to move in my heart in ways that change the kind of fruit I am producing. Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Heart change happens NO OTHER PLACE than the cross. I must run there.
Pray for me... that I will continue to selflessly look up and outward instead of looking inward.. And I would rely on God for inward change, which in turn will produce better fruit. And that when I don't, I see the cross and not beat myself up, but tell myself the Gospel that "God died for ______ (whatever I just did)". I want to encourage you to read the whole post from the link above. And don't just read it, think about it. How does it apply to your life? What is God showing YOU? Let's, together, really reflect on what our priorities are these next 17 days.
