• Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Apologetics
    • Atheism
    • Bible
    • Devotion
    • Church
    • Evangelism
    • Hiddenness of God
    • Leadership
    • Philosophy
    • Religious Pluralism
    • Science and Faith
    • Theology
  • My Books
  • Video
  • Talks
  • Invite Me
No Result
View All Result
Rick Mattson Outreach Ministry
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Apologetics
    • Atheism
    • Bible
    • Devotion
    • Church
    • Evangelism
    • Hiddenness of God
    • Leadership
    • Philosophy
    • Religious Pluralism
    • Science and Faith
    • Theology
  • My Books
  • Video
  • Talks
  • Invite Me
No Result
View All Result
Rick Mattson Outreach Ministry
No Result
View All Result

On Productivity, Part 1 of 3

April 13, 2021

In his fine book, The Unhurried Life, Alan Fadling reminds us that Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day. Thus, instead of plunging into a full work-week where the original couple would tend the garden (Gen 2:15) and rule the earth (1:28), they entered quietly into the seventh day: sabbath rest.

Fadling asks a profound question: What if rest comes before work?

Myself, I’m programmed for productivity. If I’m not getting something done, something’s wrong. If I can’t produce, I feel guilty. It’s how I grew up in hard-working small town America, on the prairies of southern Minnesota.

One day during covid hibernation this year my wife Sharon said to me, “You’re always working.” Another time she observed, “You work too much.”

I suppose I’m rather addicted to work. Indeed, many of us fall into an unhealthy pattern of “sprint hard all week . . . drop dead of exhaustion for a day . . . restart the cycle Monday morning.”

The book of Hebrews, however, envisions something more revitalizing. It calls us to enter “God’s rest” (4:10) — that is, enter our salvation, which is a permanent seventh day (so to speak). It’s a quality of life.

Fadling suggests, “Sabbath rest is primary.” Work, then, flows out from rest. I find this to be a radical thought.

Next post: My pandemic experience of putting the priority of rest to the test, and how it affects productivity.

Image by Melk Hagelslag from Pixabay

Share120Tweet75
Rick Mattson

Rick Mattson

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Rick Mattson Outreach Ministry

Rick Mattson

Evangelist & Writer

Hello & welcome to my blog! My name is Rick Mattson and I'm a traveling evangelist/apologist.

SUBSCRIBE! You'll be notified by email whenever a new post comes out
Loading

Categories

  • Apologetics (152)
  • Atheism (47)
  • Bible (32)
  • Church (67)
  • Devotion (102)
  • Evangelism (52)
  • Hiddenness of God (9)
  • Leadership (65)
  • Philosophy (7)
  • Religious Pluralism (14)
  • Science and Faith (3)
  • Theology (1)

Popular

  • Apologetics for Kids

    Apologetics for Kids

    328 shares
    Share 131 Tweet 82
  • Tradition as a Guardrail

    326 shares
    Share 130 Tweet 82
  • Muslim Dialogue

    311 shares
    Share 124 Tweet 78
  • Objective Truth is Back

    306 shares
    Share 122 Tweet 77
  • What I’m Working On: Part 1 of 3: Inside-to-Out

    306 shares
    Share 122 Tweet 77
Facebook Twitter

© 2022 Site by 5BCreative

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Apologetics
    • Atheism
    • Bible
    • Devotion
    • Church
    • Evangelism
    • Hiddenness of God
    • Leadership
    • Philosophy
    • Religious Pluralism
    • Science and Faith
    • Theology
  • My Books
  • Video
  • Talks
  • Invite Me