How to Focus on What Matters & Avoid What Doesn’t

What does productivity mean to you? Do you let other people set expectations, or are you an intrinsically motivated goal-getter? How you define productivity will determine your focus. For example, if productivity means checking off a certain number of tasks, you will focus on completing your to-do list. If productivity means making a certain amount of money, you’ll feel a sense of meaning when the numbers in your bank account start to rise.

In American culture, the formula for productivity is linear. If we’re not careful, we can view success transactionally rather than transformational. In other words, our measuring stick for success can become more about what we’re doing than who we’re becoming. However, as Christians, we want to define productivity according to the Word of God. The biblical formula for productivity emphasizes transformation above all. We can tap into eternal productivity that leaves a lasting legacy! 

 Here are a few biblical principles that I believe will help you, and I hope they will guide you as you follow God’s will. 

Connection + Kingdom (Fruitfulness) = Lasting Transformation

Connection First 

“Yes; I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5, NLT 

Jesus made it clear that the formula for productivity must begin with a divine connection. Without a connection to Jesus, our efforts are meaningless and won’t last. To be productive, we must pause, pray, and listen to the Holy Spirit before we act.

Often, we create plans and ask God to bless them. However, in the biblical formula for productivity, God invites us to partner with the work He is already doing. Jesus continues to describe this order of operations in John 15:16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Seek The Kingdom

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 ESV

Jesus let Kingdom priorities pave the pathway for productivity. He spent his time doing things that furthered the gospel of the Kingdom. Someone who seeks the Kingdom constantly asks, “How do I further God’s will on the earth?” Their concerns are for the community and the common good, as they actively participate in God’s plan to redeem and restore all things to himself. (See Colossians 1:19-20). 

So, are your daily activities and goals filtered through a kingdom perspective? How can your daily work, business, and/or investment decisions make a difference? Here is a key indicator that you are seeking the Kingdom: your dreams are bigger than you. Not only do your goals involve serving others more than serving yourself–but they also seem unattainable without supernatural intervention. Eternal productivity involves having the faith to dream and implement a God-sized dream. 

Be Fruitful, THEN Multiply

“Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:28, NLT

Each and every one of us has a measure of time, talent, and treasure to steward. God calls us to cultivate the earth and leave it a little better than we found it. Profit and increase are biblical principles, and the best order of operations is put plainly in Genesis 1. It is important to be fruitful before you try to multiply. In other words, lasting productivity requires scaling sustainably. 

Successful business owners know this well. If you try to grow your business and scale before you have the capital to do so, you won’t be able to sustain the growth. The same is true for your finances. If you try to buy a rental property before you have any emergency fund saved, an unexpected hardship could leave you in serious trouble. 

The biblical formula for productivity requires maximizing what you have before you pursue more. How can you mine the meaning and value of your current opportunities and assets? Evaluate how you can be fruitful in your current season, and God will multiply you in due time. 

See Transformation

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 2:18

Remember that every God-goal centers on who you are becoming, not what you do. Productivity is a natural product of abiding in Christ–that’s a biblical promise. 

When you connect with God, seek the Kingdom, and diligently aim for fruitfulness in your current season, eternal transformation will result. You will become more like Christ and positively impact your sphere of influence.