Missed Opportunities

Rather than reading another productivity book, ask yourself this question near the end of each day:

What opportunities did I miss today?

Morning

• Did I rise early to read my Bible or sleep in for another 15–30 minutes?
• Did I speak with joy or weariness to my family?
• Did I eat all that I wanted or all that I needed for breakfast?
• Did I make demands or speak encouragement to my spouse?
• Did I drive in a way that pleases the Lord or did I put myself and my needs first?
• Did I respond to my coworker’s attitude with patience or sarcasm?
• Did I submit to my boss’ critique as if it was Jesus speaking to me, or did I comfort myself with thoughts of others’ incompetence?
• Did I listen to my children with patience or respond with exasperation?

Midday

• Did I discipline my children consistently or let their sins go unattended because I felt weary?
• Did I respond to the long wait at lunch with visible frustration or give grace to the fast food worker?
• Did I speak to the homeless guy with the sign or walk by without making eye contact?
• Did I take some me-time while the kids napped or did I prepare for their afternoon so that it goes well?
• Did I work hard after lunch or choose to do some personal web surfing on company time?
• Did I just stand there & watch my kids play at the park or did I try to engage and talk about Christ with one of the other neighborhood moms?
• Did I spend some of the commute home praying or listening to sports radio?

Evening

• Did I come home and flip the tv on, or did I cheerfully engage with my spouse and kids?
• Did our dinner conversation center around God’s grace in life or were they fixated on complaints about the day’s events?
• Did I use the remote control discerningly or did I allow my tv/computer to display things for which Christ had to die?
• Did I blame my child’s offensive behavior on sugar or lack of sleep or did I speak to them about God’s desires for their life and their need for obedience?
• Did I act patiently and kindly as my kids fought going to bed or did I use terror and fear to get them to stay in bed?
• Did I listen patiently while my spouse talks through their day or did I fall asleep while they were still talking?

Every day of your life abounds with opportunities to glorify God.

Rather than aiming to maximize your output every day, the great ambition of every Christian should be to walk in the Spirit and bring glory to God. If you have any doubt about that, read Galatians 5:22–24 and 1 Peter 2:9–12.

I am thankful for the many good books that talk about personal productivity from a biblical perspective. We should ambitiously seek to accomplish all we can each day, in step with the Spirit of God and the Word of God. But if I am productively busy, yet lacking love for others, my work is worthless.

Too often, the root cause of a passion for productivity is self-interest. It benefits you so you change your habits.

Christian, you must have a greater aim than your own pleasure and glory. The world is filled with people who profess to love Jesus, but truly love themselves the most. A genuine Christ-follower has a greater purpose than self-interest.

Who will you live for each day?