ACTIVITY ≠ PRODUCTIVITY

I love watching football, especially the English Premier League. I support Arsenal. YES, I do. They are as unstable as unstable can be, but I am not a fair-weather supporter. I’m stuck with them for the long run. When they are in their best form, you can expect possession football, sleek passing, and beautiful goals. At other times, all you get from them will be possession football, sleek passing, and no goals. At the end of 90 minutes, it’s all about the goals and not the possession. There are no extra points for keeping the ball within your team throughout the game. If you don’t score any goals, the possession is a waste of time and energy. Activity is not the same as productivity.

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha at Bethany, Martha was seemingly very active, while Mary sat to hear Jesus teach. There was nothing morally or ethically wrong with what Martha was doing, but it was being done at the wrong time. She was active but not exactly productive in the things that really mattered. Mary appeared inactive but was judged as being 100% productive by the Ultimate Judge because activity is not the same as productivity.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40-42

There is a story in the closing verses of 1 Kings 20, where a servant was given ONE assignment to guard a prisoner of war with his life. One task only, but he got busy with many other things and the prisoner disappeared and a judgment was pronounced. This story was a parable but a perfect presentation of the fact that activity is not the same as productivity.

When the king passed by, the disciple called to him. “I went to fight in the battle. A man turned around and brought a prisoner to me. He said, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he gets away, you will pay for his life with your own life or be fined 75 pounds of silver.’ But while I was busy doing other things, he got away.” The king of Israel told him, “That’s your own penalty. You have determined it yourself.” 1Kings 20:39-40

Now, bearing in mind that activity is not the same as productivity, it will be instructive to take some steps back and assess all that we are busy with, in the light of what really matters after all is said and done. Most of the things that distract us from productivity are not necessarily bad things, they are usually good things being done at the wrong time. At other times, they could be good things that other people should be doing, and we have taken them upon ourselves – keeping ourselves pretty occupied. If you are busy in another man’s field while your own field lies fallow, you will get nothing from your field at the time of harvest because activity is not the same as productivity.

Are you doing what really matters in the church service unit? Are you being productive or just active doing so many things? At work, are you being productive or just busy here and there? What are you doing at home?

One day, God will show clearly how good each builder’s work is. God will put each person’s work into a fire on that great day. The fire will show whether their work is good or bad. 1Corinthians 3:13

Another verse from the Bible that emphasizes that activity is not productivity is Mathew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Nothing listed in the verse above is inherently wrong, but the active people were adjudged as unproductive. We should pray to find our own fields and to be active and productive in those fields. We should also pray that God will help us to identify the subtle distractions that strive to keep us active and stay away from them because activity is not the same as productivity.

picture credit: entrepreneur.com, expandable.com