I Want To Feel Productive

People of all ages regularly feel the desire to be wanted. Just as teenagers want to be recognized among their peers, adults don’t grow out of the desire to belong. We all desire to be noticed, to be given attention to, to be recognized, to be noticed…to feel important. This doesn’t have to come from pride or selfishness either. I think when we boil it down, we desire to know we are being productive. We desire to know we are an important piece to the whole. This is good.

Longing to make a difference in our life, with our family, in our careers, in our church, or in our culture is a part of maturity. Think about people who would be viewed as foolish, naive, simple, young, or “wild and free.” They have a careless way about their life that doesn’t see how God has given them things in order to be productive for Him. They enjoy life to the fullest, but only for themselves. They don’t seem to care at all.

There is this other dangerous side to wanting to be recognized, to feel important, and to know we are providing something productive. In this sense, we care too much. We make everything a big deal. We tip the scales to believe that we are to make a difference because it needs to happen right away. We have an urgency about problems around us, which is good. We should be aware of issues and have some urgency in seeing these corrected. However, I’m amazed at how God views productivity and time.

Productivity in God’s eyes is different for every person. He never supports the lazy person, but He doesn’t see productivity as the same for all people. This is because He doesn’t necessarily equate productivity with results. Your level of productivity is not defined by the amount of results. Your level of productivity is also not necessarily defined by your type of results. Your productivity should bring results, but we must be careful how we believe the results should look like.

I think about how my life is where it is today. There were people in my life that contributed to me devoting my life to vocational ministry. There were messages and events by pastors that spoke to me. There were messages and events by pastors that I don’t remember. They never knew which message or event would be used by God for anyone listening and participating in. They were just being faithful to being productive for God. I think about the faithful testimony by my parents of going to church. I think about their concern for me to develop a desire to read (I saw them always reading and I learned never to say “I’m bored…” Answer: “Read a book”). They developed the desire in me to learn that contributes to my desire to learn about God. I think about the faithful testimony of my grandparents that influenced my parents. The dots to connect for my life probably go way back to people I’ve never met. And I pray that those dots continue to influence people I connect with.

God’s plan of productivity is focused on long term results. Our seemingly “little” piece is so important. Don’t beat yourself up to perform. Don’t be lazy either. Do what you can and know that God is working it all together to make a difference not only in this generation, but the ones to come. That makes me feel productive. How about you?

So God Gives AND Takes Away?

The book of Job in the Old Testament is a fascinating glimpse into the faithfulness of Job towards God. Yet, as a book in the Bible, it is first and foremost about God’s character, thought processing, and a view of how God operates in this world. In the first couple of chapters, we get a behind-the-scene view of God and Satan talking about Job’s faithfulness and integrity. In a proof testing, God allows Satan to take away Job’s business, possessions, sons and daughters, and health. Of course Job is affected by all this, as well as is his wife.  Although we really don’t get her perspective much in the book, we do see her frustration in Job 2:9

“His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”" (NIV)

This response by Job’s wife is commonly our response when bad things happen in our life. Job’s wife is most likely very faithful to God as well, but in this moment of confusion and hopelessness, she responded like a “foolish” (or godless) woman (2:10). The ideal (though not easy) response seems to come from Job. Job’s response was to remain in faith no matter what the issues.

“…Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:20-22 NIV)

Job was very confident in his faithfulness to God. Job believed that he did everything God asked of him and more. Job believed this was not punishment for some wrong-doing. He was also confident in the God that he was faithful to. He believed that God wasn’t a cruel God, nor a God that could make an oversight, nor one that could make mistakes. God couldn’t be accused of doing wrong. Job held his belief that whatever was going on, God was not against him nor was God absent from what just happened.

To believe that it was God Himself who could take those things away sounds correct in the understanding of God being in control over everything, including Satan’s activities. This story illustrates God’s Sovereignty. It also illustrates God’s ability in being God, by doing whatever He desired (an ability none of us have). These qualities can bring us both assurance as well as humility. But to believe that God Himself would take away doesn’t always set right with our idea of God blessing those who are faithful to Him. Isn’t blessings suppose to be about getting more of something? Isn’t God about GRACE (giving gifts we don’t deserve) and MERCY (withholding the punishment we do deserve)? So, is a God who would take away from me simply being cruel by making life difficult on purpose?

There are many “reasons for” God taking things away that we could talk about. There are “results from” God taking things away that we could talk about as well. I talked a little about this earlier in pivotal circumstances and giving God the benefit of the doubt. However in one sense, I feel that the more we talk about the reasons for or the results from things happening, we tend to talk about it from a selfish perspective. We want to be blessed. We want to gain from the loss. As much as I’m for believing that God is doing something in us, through us, with us, and for us, we must question whether we will remain faithful to God. Are we willing to not accuse God of wrong-doing? We must believe that no matter what happens, we are going to respond in God, through God, with God, and for God.

He does work out all things for good according to those who love him (Romans 8:28ff). He has worked before the foundations of the earth to bring us salvation through the blood and sacrifice of His one and only Son (Ephesians 1).  He does all these things to bring Himself glory. He desires to see you happy…in Him. The things that we can control are our responses. How good are we at responding in worship when God takes away? These are the only things that we could change, but would we? Can we respond to God when He takes away in the same fashion as when He gives?

Learning from Teaching

Learning and teaching go hand in hand. One often learns by watching or listening to someone else. However, merely listening or watching is not the same as learning. That’s why parents may ask their children: “are you listening to me?” To really learn, you have to be able to apply what was taught. This is not always so easy. In fact, even after watching or listening from the expert, we can still end up learning a lesson “the hard way.” Learning is both knowledge and application. Knowledge is essential. Without it, we won’t even understand what needs to happen. Yet, knowledge is only potential just as listening or watching carries the potential for learning.  Application is always key and understanding when those moments of application arise is just as important.

A wise person recognizes that they are always in need of wisdom themselves. Only fools think they don’t need wisdom. Those who are able to teach do so because they are avid learners. When you have to teach someone else something, you have to relearn it for yourself. You begin to look closely at what you are teaching to make sure it is actually what should be learned. You begin to understand things on a whole different level. You may begin to gain insight into connecting more dots of your life to those thing you once learned. You begin to know why you believe what you believe. Rather than having the ability to regurgitate knowledge, you have the ability to discern. Discernment produces the guidance most people are looking for in life decisions. We just often want someone to simply tell us the answers.

In a sense, once you begin to teach, you also begin to learn. One needs to be able to teach themselves, before they can really teach others. This doesn’t mean that they’ll always be able to do the right thing. (We know many people, including teachers and preachers, who are full of wisdom and can easily teach others wise principles, but who don’t follow their own advice.) Knowing you have people who are watching you, learning not only from your words, but from your actions as well, puts added pressure to make sure you can “walk the talk and talk the walk.” As you teach, you may begin to find yourself saying “oh, that’s why my mom/dad/mentor/teacher/pastor/friend said that.”

To go to the next level in learning, try teaching someone else. What would you say to them if they were asking for the same advice? Or what are you telling them that you have yet to apply yourself? There’s much to learn and much to be taught.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young–
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance–
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. (Pro 1:1-6 NIV)