Productivity: Glorifying God Through Our Good Works

By: Ella Clayton

Being on break can be a nice change from the stress and workload we experience during much of the school year. Although breaks are good and healthy for us every once and awhile, God does not want us to spend life constantly chasing comforts and little work. Proverbs 28:19 states, “Those who work their land have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will be full of poverty.” God is telling us that when we really work at something and are productive, it will result in “abundant food,” which satisfies us, but when we chase the impossible, the fancifull, we end up “full of poverty.” So, what does this mean for us? It means that when we work hard, our hearts will be satisfied, but if we are constantly chasing fantasies, our hearts will never be satisfied.

God made our human bodies uniquely. We have all the tools built into us, and different charisms that allow us to be productive and get work done that builds up the Kingdom of God. We have brains that allow us to think complex thoughts, hands that allow us to write and type, and voices that allow us to communicate in a much more sophisticated way than animals. But even more amazing, God, through the Holy Spirit gave us unique charisms, special abilities that we can use to help build the Kingdom of God on earth. These could include hospitality, healing, craftsmanship, teaching, or encouragement, but there are many more. When we use our unique bodies and our special charisms in our work, we are thanking and glorifying God for the gifts He has given us. And when we glorify God, we are building the Kingdom of God on earth.

Knowing we need to work is one thing, but doing it is another. Sometimes we are worn out and suffer from a lack of motivation. Often, I find myself wasting time from procrastinating, because I just can’t seem to sit down and get work done. This hit me particularly hard coming back from Thanksgiving break, right before finals. It was hard to focus on all the homework and tests that I didn’t want to do, that felt like I couldn’t do. The problem was that I felt like I could only rely on myself to get the job done. One night I had this random thought, to do a Google search for the prayer, “Come Holy Spirit.” As I prayed the words of the prayer, I asked for the Holy Spirit to be with me as I worked, and motivate me in what I was about to do. When I realized that all the work I did came through God, I had a deeper motivation to be productive, because I was no longer working for myself, but for God. When we are able to do good work that we are proud of, we are glorifying God for the gifts He has given us. But when we sit back, and are lazy, we let the gifts God has given us go to waste.

As we all return to the busy, demanding routines of school and work, I invite you to keep God in your hearts as you work, maybe say a short prayer before you begin to center yourself. In doing this, you can thank Him for the gifts He has shared with us. When we realize that our work glorifies God’s Kingdom, we can find great joy in the work we do.