I was attracted to Reagan Rose’s blog initially because he covered a topic I really needed to learn more about – productivity. As my entrepreneurial work in the Family History area has evolved, I have ventured into new territories like marketing, platform building, launching, etc. Tons of learning – new concepts and tools – multiple experts out there –stress became a constant.
He pointed to the world of personal productivity which was full of bold promises.
“Want to finally start getting stuff done? All you need is our app / planner / system!”
As Rose observed, “work is hard, messy, and frustrating. That’s why we find these promises so attractive. But it’s easy to get caught in a vicious cycle of chasing shiny new tools to solve all of your productivity problems, and completely miss the deeper issues.”
Interestingly, due to time constraints, I have developed a terrible habit of skim-reading. I did that too much as his early emails passed through my searching skim looking for tools and tips and any relief I could get from the overwhelm of too much on my plate.
Yet soon I was stopped in my tracks as I saw scripture showing up in his productivity discussions – and then I read his ‘byline’: Get more done for the glory of God.
No wonder he called his blog and business Redeeming Productivity. So I have stopped skimming and started digging deeper with the joy of learning more of what God says about my daily work and productivity – and I have been blessed by Rose’s content, wisdom and spiritual maturity.
Very early in my narrowing in of my focus to the family history arena, the Lord led me to Deuteronomy 6 and other chapters that talked about capturing and remembering our history so that generations beyond us would be blessed as we shared the Lord’s commandments and redemption of His people. I could resonate with Rose’s insights which evolved from shining the light of God’s Word into my daily work world.
Rose pointed out that “real work is hard and it always will be hard. [He earlier cited Genesis 3 – so true.] And doing that work in a way that pleases the Lord is even harder. In fact, it’s impossible apart from reliance on Christ.” Sharing John 15:5 made his point: “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Indulge in his perspective a bit and you will see why I am no longer skimming his posts but prayerfully asking for insight and wisdom as I read and think through them:
Redeemed productivity is doing our work in a way where our chief aim isn’t merely to get stuff done, but to get it done for the glory of God. That’s not something that can be solved by technical means, we need spiritual help.
Yes, tools and system can aid us in getting more organized and efficient in our work, but no tool will solve the heart issue and enable you to “work as unto the Lord.”
What our work needs more than anything is the fruit of the Spirit, not features of an app.
So you may be asking, as I was, does he get down to the nitty-gritty in a helpful way – will it really be something concrete and of value in my daily life? So in the last email I received from him, there was a picture/topic box titled “How to Get Your Email Inbox Under Control”. Yep, I clicked on it since it is a problem area for me.
It popped me over to his brief 8-minute YouTube video that was verrry helpful! Practical, helpful, and yes, pulling a key piece I needed from scripture. I got a new idea from it that I will start implementing tomorrow.
So when I find a real gem that is of such help to me, as Rose’s wisdom is turning out to be, I want to share it with my friends. That includes you! You can check it out on your own at his website www.redeemingproductivity.com.
May God’s wisdom and grace flow into our lives with increasing productivity and to His glory.
