A Good Word Wednesday #101 Productive (or not) 🌞 🏖️💤
A little bit of help, hope and goodness for you each Wednesday.
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25
Good Word of the Day: Productive
It’s that time of year. To be lazy. To go on vacation. To do nothing. It’s just too hot to do anything else. Right?
Absolutely nothing wrong with days of doing nothing. It’s good for the soul to breathe in the aroma of sea salt while lounging on the beach. Or, sitting on the porch of a cabin immersed in a dark wood, only listening to birds as they collectively offer their songs. Or even swaying in the hammock in your backyard. Ahhhh…. the gift of nothingness.
But, what if you actually have to be productive when it seems all the world has checked out or checked in to a luxury hotel somewhere far away? What if you have pressing deadlines, or your normal 9-5 job, or piles of laundry to do? As I type this, I am six weeks away from my book launch. This is uncharted territory for me. Seems like I should be working extremely hard right now to prep the world to receive this book. (Thankfully I have an amazing book launch team to help me do that!)
What do you do to stay focused and productive when all you really want to do is sit on your porch, drink coffee, read and listen to birds? (This may or may not be what I want to be doing… all the time.) But seriously, please offer your best thoughts on how to produce good, quality work when all you want to do is take a nap.
I know that God gives us purpose, a mission and meaningful work. I share some of those scriptures below.
This week, I found this powerful prayer from Redeeming Your Time by Joran Raynor. (Link below)
“Father, I thank you that through Jesus I can never lose my status as your adopted child; thus, I have no need to be productive. But I graciously accept your invitation to do as many good works as I can for your glory, the good of others, and the advancement of your kingdom. Help me to be purposeful, present, and wildly productive for your purposes…But regardless of how productive I am, I will know that you love me. May the security of your love make be both peaceful and ambitious to do your will today. Amen.”
Is that a prayer you need to pray today?
Wednesday in the Word
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Share Your Good Words
Good Question(s) of the Week: How are you being productive right now? How are you taking time to rest and recharge right now?
Photo: She Is Safe
Good Unseen People
I wrote the following for Stories for Global Good and posted it a few years ago:
So what do you do on a staycation? You do nothing. Get rested. Recharged and relaxed… and then get ready to go back to doing what you were made to do. But first… maybe one more quick nap…
Read the whole story: What to do on a staycation
I invite you to read stories about how God calls us to see the unseen. Click the link below to read more on my website about Unseen People: Sharing Light and Life With Your Neighbors and the Nations.
To mark the progress of the book and to give you weekly insights into my writing life, please follow along and watch the videos on This Week in Unseen People. Click the link to watch the video. This week in Unseen People -- a special announcement. You are invited to the Book Launch Party! Please save the date — August 6th! Join the Facebook event page
AVAILABLE NOW for PREORDER. CLICK HERE TO PREORDER the book today. It will release August 6th. I have received notice that the book is at the printer! Yay!!
Take a Sneak Peek! Click here to take a look at the The front and back cover of Unseen People!
Good Words I Recommend
A Good Book: Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive by Jordan Raynor
A Good Playlist: Calming Christian Playlist
A Good Podcast: Becoming Bridge Builders: How Dangerous Prayers Can Transform Your Life. Video Podcast on Facebook. Podcast Transcript. I enjoyed being a guest on this podcast. Listen when you have a few minutes and find out what the dangerous prayer is.
A Final Good Word
I remember, as a child, singing an old hymn with they lyrics, “We’ll work, till Jesus comes we’ll work, till Jesus comes. We’ll work till Jesus comes and we’ll be gathered home.” That sounds exhausting.
Sometimes it’s a good thing to just stop. It’s ok to be still. I’m not sure how you turn your mind completely off, but it’s good to try. Our Father wants us. He wants you. He wants the relationship with us more than the works of our hands. So even now, press pause on your busy life. Take a deep breath. And ask God what He wants you to be doing today. Then do that. And it’s enough. Let me know how that works for you this week.
Thank you for reading these words. I’m deeply honored to share this time with you each week. I’m looking forward to sharing the next 100 Good Words with you!
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you”. Jeremiah 30:2
Gratefully yours,
