A book review of Redeeming Productivity: Getting More Done for the Glory by Reagan Rose
Stars: ****
Moody Publishers (2022)
Christian Nonfiction
158 pages
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book by Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.
Summary: Feeling overwhelmed and unproductive? The answer isn’t to do more.
What image forms in your mind when you think of productivity? An assembly line? Spreadsheets? Business suits or workplace uniforms? In the ancient world, productivity didn’t conjure images like these. Instead, it referred to crop yield and fruit bearing. This agrarian imagery helps us understand productivity through a biblical lens. Jesus taught, By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit (John 15:8). Who doesn’t want to have a truly productive life—to bear much fruit? But how does this happen in the places we hold dear—the home, workplace, and in our communities?
We often feel overworked and overrun, defeated and discouraged. The world says be productive so that you can get all you can out of this life. The Bible says be productive so you can gain more of the next life. In Redeeming Productivity, author Reagan Rose explores how God’s glory is the purpose for which He planted us. And he shows how productivity must be firmly rooted in the gospel. Only through our connection to Christ—the True Vine—are we empowered to produce good fruit. This book shows how we can maintain the vitality of that connection through simple, life-giving disciplines. Readers will discover manageable applications like giving God the first fruits of our days. Additionally, Reagan discusses how our perspective on suffering is transformed as we see trials as God’s pruning for greater productivity.
Redeeming Productivity
Unlike other books you may have read about productivity, this one has a Christian perspective. At first I wasn’t sure why Christians would be productive in a different way than non-Christians but now I understand. Christians are called to be productive differently because we are supposed to produce good fruits.
First you will learn about the difference between the worldview of productivity and God’s idea of productivity. Five pillars are discussed and after each one a practice is given. Here are the pillars and practices:
Pillar 1 -Origin of Productivity
Practice 1 – Craft Your Morning Routine
Pillar 2 – Purpose of Productivity
Practice 2 – Get Organized
Pillar 3 – Content of Productivity
Practice 3 – Track Your Commitments
Pillar 4 – Source of Productivity
Practice 4 – Set Your Goals
Pillar 5 – The Motivation for Productivity
Practice 5 – Write Your Well Done
As you can see this is not your average productivity book but it does resemble one a bit. If you are Christian and overwhelmed with trying to do it all, this is the book for you.
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