LIGHT FOR PRODUCTIVE LIVING (2)

“Go to the ANT, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise” – Proverbs 6:6

In the Scriptures, LIGHT for PRODUCTIVE LIVING shines through one of God’s smallest creatures: “Go to the ANT, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest” (Pro.6: 6-8). We’re instructed to register with Dr. Ant to learn the principles and practices of Proactivity and Planning. A productive life doesn’t just happen accidentally. It is a product of planning – taking responsibility for what God entrusted to us. In this proverb, the ant serves as a model of diligence, discipline, foresight, planning, proactiveness, and productive living.

In addition to the ant’s example of planning our work and being proactive in our efforts, here are three other related principles and scriptures pertinent to Productive Living:

Numbering our Days: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psa.90:12). This verse touches on the brevity of life and the importance of using our limited time, wisely. We don’t like to think about death, but sometimes we need to get morbid to get motivated. When we know that our entire life’s duration is numbered in few tens of thousands of days, few thousands of weeks, few hundreds of months, and few tens of years, we’re likely to gain the Light of Wisdom for productive living. We must keep life’s brevity at the forefront of our minds. There is no greater filter for what’s vital, than remembering that our time is limited, and what we do here counts for eternity!

Productive Use of Time: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph.5: 15-16). Productive Living demands being wise with the Use of Time, a resource that’s far more valuable than any human currency. We must learn to be disciplined in our Stewardship of Time; intentional with how we use our time; and to make the most of every opportunity. Practical, personal strategies to maximized Investment of Time include: Setting deadlines and pursuing them with passion, knowing that “work expands to fill the time allocated to it”; eliminating distractions such as breaks for email, social media, and mobile phone interruptions; and batching tasks such as email checking and responding or checking social media into few sessions per day, and meetings back-to-back.

Prioritizing the Kingdom: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt.6:33). It’s crucial to align our priorities with God’s in order to be eternally productive. It’s easy to get lost in the flood of carnal goals, to-dos, and the busyness of life, so much so that we lose track of our priorities. But God has made the main thing absolutely clear to us – Kingdom Compliance. When we get this right, other priorities tend to line themselves up in their proper order.