Divine Efficiency - Part 1
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by an impossible volume of tasks ahead of you? On the contrary, have you ever completed a work day in awe at what was accomplished as if it was a miracle? Both of these extremes resonate for me. Thankfully, it’s the latter experience that is becoming more frequent.No matter where you put yourself on the spectrum of being a hard-worker (but especially “achievers” per Gallup’s StrengthsFinder), it’s safe to assume you enjoy getting stuff done. Really, who doesn’t like getting things done? It’s part of how God designed humankind.Fruitfulness (yes, the multiplying kind too, but I’m talking about productivity) is a special kind of gift that benefits multiple people – both the producer and their sphere of influence, whether large or small.And like most of God’s good gifts, we’re occasionally prone to distort or improperly elevate productivity, even if it’s productivity with the best of intentions such as, for an ambitious Christian, productivity building God’s Kingdom (kingdomtivity). We can’t let productivity become an idol.
Wishing for a 36-hour days vs best utilizing each 24 hours
I used to jokingly keep “a 36-hour day” on my Christmas wish list… I always felt like 24 hours wasn’t enough time to address the things I thought needed addressed. Everything on my list was good – being a responsible adult, enjoying quality time with the family, coaching the kids, organizing neighborhood or work events, leading various church activities, volunteering at school, checking in on friends, reading, giving my best at the office, exercising, sleeping a little, and the list goes on…Eventually, I was both convicted and encouraged by God’s gentle reminder that instead of longing for more hours in a day, I should be asking for his wisdom on how to best fill the day before me. If 24 hours are given, but I believe there is cause for more than “24 hours” of productivity, certain things must decrease or be done differently. But what?
It’s a tough question. One piece of the puzzle is adding in (more) prayer. Adding the right thing can help everything else fall into place… whether it ensures you don’t miss something else, have the right priorities, delegate appropriately, or eliminate the unnecessary. That’s right, adding “pray over to-do list” at the top of (and throughout) your to-do list can make a radical difference in the pursuit of productivity.The days I prayerfully trust God to guide me in how I spend my time (and others’, whether staff or kids) often end up being the most productive… and sometimes the most enjoyable as well!
The best type of efficiency
But I implore you to consider not just when you pray or how you pray, but also what you pray for. One day while journaling and praying about a new job, I was struck with a new concept… a particular mode of operation that I felt led to ask our giving God for: divine efficiency – a God-given efficiency, one not possible on your own, that empowers you to be the most meaningful and effective version of yourself. It comes from humbly asking the Holy Spirit to help you accomplish what really might not otherwise be doable but may still need to be done. And rather than frantically turning back and forth between tasks A through F, aiming for our own best version of efficiency, it’s instead a miraculous efficiency, Lord-willing, that comes with peace, wonder, and often gets even more done (A through J!) than thought possible.
Miracles
Recently I was facing another day packed with meetings. My email and voicemail counts were rapidly climbing. I was responsible for numerous significant deadlines approaching, keeping multiple important tasks in motion concurrently, attending a kid’s event that evening, and preparing to lead a couple church-related events that same week. It really didn’t seem possible, but it seemed God wanted me to remain faithful to all these responsibilities. After surrendering my own competencies and praying specifically for divine efficiency, not only did I receive clarity to prioritize and address the tasks at hand, but I was somehow able to create time for some extra relational investments into a co-worker as well!You too may understandably be overwhelmed and facing the seemingly impossible. While efficiency should never be our highest value – Love must be first – divine efficiency allows us to operate in the context of what’s most important. If you haven’t sensed the Lord lead otherwise after earnest seeking, it may be that all those things actually belong on your plate for this particular season. How do you proceed? It’s too much! But no, God is faithful. He doesn’t give us more than we can bear with Him. Seek divine efficiency. Humbly ask for it. Let God remind you that whether you feel on top of your To Do list or buried, we’re best off recognizing our utter dependence on God, no matter the task(s) at hand or the current calling in life.I’ve seen our trustworthy God graciously provide divine efficiency – wisdom from above to focus on the right things at the right time that somehow produces an exceptional amount of fruitfulness and allows space for other valuable God-given efforts. I want more of it. I have so much to gain from it. I believe you can benefit from it too. Ask God for it. We’d love to hear what this looks like for you. “For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” - Psalm 18:27-30 (ESV)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. – Eph. 5:15-17 (ESV)