Book: Redeeming Productivity

Productivity is a matter of importance for everyone in some form or fashion. You may be trying to produce in the business world, or some academic pursuit, or even an athletic achievement; whatever it might be, you’re likely trying to be more productive at it. This desire for productivity is natural, good, and it applies to the Christian life. You may not have thought about it in this way before, but God calls every believer to be productive. Or, as the New Testament more commonly puts it, Christ wants us to be fruitful. Producing Spirit-empowered fruit should be the ambition of every Christian. It is to this end that Reagan Rose has written Redeeming Productivity: Getting More Done for the Glory of God.

Rose is the founder of Redeeming Productivity, which is a non-profit ministry that shares its name with the book. As a graduate of The Master’s Seminary, he is committed to writing from a deeply theological and thoroughly biblical point of view. His aim is to bring biblical clarity to the ever increasing and often confusing study of productivity. In his own words, “My desire is that this book would help Christians reclaim a more thoughtful theology and practice of productivity, one that is rooted in the Scriptures and doggedly committed to honoring God. You can learn to be more productive without sacrificing your biblical convictions” (12).

Essentially, Rose is endeavoring to provide his readers with 1) a biblical theology of productivity, as well as 2) a practical paradigm for productivity. As he puts it, “the aim of this book is to address both the why and the how of productivity so you can get more done for the glory of God” (11)

His biblical theology of productivity is contained in five pillars of Christian productivity:

1. The Origin of Productivity: You belong to God. “The world says you belong to yourself, but the Bible says you belong to God. This fundamental truth is the first pillar of Christian productivity. But far from stopping us from caring about productivity, I believe it is the strongest motive for pursuing it” (19).

2. The Purpose of Productivity: You exist to glorify God. “Your purpose isn’t to be productive; it is to bring God glory through all that you do. But with such an important mission, you will naturally seek to be productive in your calling. That’s what good stewards do” (50).

3. The Content of Productivity: You were saved to bear fruit for God. “To redeem productivity, we need to stop judging our productivity the same way the world does. And that begins by redeeming the content of productivity. Christians were saved not just to get more things done, but to bear fruit for God” (63).

4. The Source of Productivity: You are uniquely gifted by God. “God-honoring productivity is fueled by His power working through me for His glory. The power to produce the fruit of good works in our jobs, homes, churches, and neighborhoods isn’t found in this technique or that system: it is found in the sufficient grace granted to us in Christ Jesus” (100).

5. The Motivation for Productivity: You will give account to God. “If we want to redeem productivity, we need to understand that someday we will give an account for our lives to God. The world says to be productive so you can get more from this life. The Bible says to be productive so you can gain more in the next life” (125).

Each one of these pillars is explained in individual chapters, which cohesively work together to form the backbone of Rose’s biblical theology. These principles along with the outlook on productivity that they cultivate are the most valuable part of the book. In addition to these helpful principles, Rose does a tremendous job of contrasting worldly views on productivity with a thoroughly Christian perspective. Specifically, Rose helpfully points out that “the most common unbiblical idea you’ll find in nearly every work on productivity is a me-centered motivation” (18).

In addition to the chapters that explain the pillars of Rose’s theology of productivity, he provides his readers with a chapter on how to practically implement them. It probably would have been more effective to group the chapters on practical implementation together the end of the book rather than alternating between a chapter on the pillars of productivity and the practice of productivity. This would have made it easier for readers to see how the pillars of his biblical theology flow into one another. That being said, there are a number of practical take aways that readers can benefit from.

• On making good use of morning hours, “Someone once said the first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day. Like the rudder on a ship, your mornings are a relatively small part of your day, but they set the direction. A well-crafted, Christ-first morning routine is the best way I’ve found to begin a productive day” (27).

• On the basic importance of being organized, “If you want to play the game of productivity on hard mode, then stay disorganized. But if you want to optimize your life so you can be as faithful of a steward as possible, then organize your environments” (61).

• On the preeminence of character, “Productive Christians are firmly rooted in Christ, letting Him transform their character, and they make the most of the tools and opportunities presented to them that they might bear more of the fruit of good works for his glory” (77).

There are plenty of other practical take aways for readers to implement in their own lives, but this is not where you will find the main value in this book. The strength of this book is the biblical outlook on productivity that Rose provides for his reader, not the specific techniques he suggests. There are some readers who will not find every one of Rose’s specific applications all that applicable for them. They may not employ his acronym for how to oraganize their morning (30-40); they may not utilize his specific strategy for managing the details of life (89-94), and they may not find it necessary, or compelling, to write out a well-defined vision statement for their lives (139-148). However, many of Rose's exhortation are beneficial, and the intentionality that he models as he works through these specific applications is stimulating for those who endeavor to be more productive in their own lives.

Redeeming Productivity is a simple, helpful, and accessible book that will be a productive read for any believer.

Rose, Reagan. Redeeming Productivity: Getting More Done for the Glory of God. Moody Publishers: Chicago, Illinois. 2022. Reviewed by Paul Shirley.