Productivity = Fruitfulness

This post is by Patty Lewis.

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 2:15  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Colossians 3:23-24  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

We were created to be productive.  To produce.  A synonym of productivity that I found and really like is fruitful.  We are to be fruitful as we care for this world God has given us.  I’ve been thinking about this and pondering my own productivity or fruitfulness.  

We all are created equally in the image of God.  Each of us knit together in our mother’s wombs carefully (Psalm 139:13-14.)   We all have certain roles as we are growing up and as adults. No matter what stage, season or place we are in life, we are all called to be productive where He has placed us.  Our lives may have different schedules, rhythms and functions, but we are all contributing and therefore we should be fruitful.  We all are gifted and called uniquely by Him for purposes He has planned perfectly.  Each of us has a significant role in building up His Kingdom, both here on earth and eternally.  

I’m a wife, mom and homemaker.  We homeschool our son.  Taking care of my family, our home, some extended family and managing our resources is what I do.  It sounds simple, easy and not very time consuming when reduced to those few descriptive words.  There isn’t a business I am a part of running or a job I go to regularly outside my home or remotely at home where I work certain hours and receive payment for my work.  I mean, there are things I do to earn some extra money or resources for our home, but mainly I help budget for the income my husband brings into our home and carefully manage how we steward our resources which can seem quite overwhelming from time to time.  

Every one of us are called to be fruitful, productive members of the Body right where we are for the glory of our God.  Managing our home and caring for our family is my place.  This is it, this is what He has called me to. I will choose to live abundantly here.  I choose to be productive and fruitful.  

Since my body, mind and soul need certain things to be productive in my calling, I need to consider this and act accordingly.  Over the years, the simple God/Plan/Move pattern has been a super vital part of how I manage to be productive in the days/weeks/years.  

The 3 minute morning is a helpful habit to develop to bring about fruitful productivity.  Spending time with God is life giving and means we will be in a right relationship seeking His face and His will for our day.  It means we will have our essential Daily Bread which nourishes our body, our mind and our soul.

Spending some time planning after spending time with God gives us a chance to reflect on where we are and where we are headed.  It helps us focus so we can see what the day may hold and apply what God is showing us, as well as dream about and consider with Him what the future may look like.  It also provides the opportunity to adjust where needed.  Planning helps us have an idea what to expect.  It means we can see clearly where we need to build in rest time so that our productivity will flourish.  Daily plan time helps us to focus on making wise decisions as we manage our homes, work and resources well.  Doing these things is good, right and fruitful.  Planning is a huge contributing factor to the economics of being productive!

Choosing to Move at the beginning of our day is essential.  To move means to make at least one healthy and nourishing choice like drinking a glass of water and/or stretching/workout/walk each day.  It  means our bodies will be ready for whatever is set before us.  This is good and right when caring for His temple.

In one of my recent Sundays in regular service the teaching pastor was pointing out that God has numbered each of our days so that we will have the exact amount of time He has set forth to accomplish His will in our lives.  He knows what His plans for us are.  Seeking Him for His will on daily and following hard after Him will be as productive as we ever could be!

May The Lord bless you and keep you!  

Patty Lewis lives on the Space Coast of Florida with her Husband, Son and one cat.  She is a homeschool Momma, loves serving other Moms and Youth in her Church and community through encouragement in practical ways and enjoys reading, gardening, Disney, coffee, anything with her family and laughing really loud.

Photo by Amanda Hortiz on Unsplash