Other Christians seem to think that sermons are all they need to live for God’s glory in this world. They think that sermons or Christian books should just automatically produce good works. And they often look down on any helpful insights from non-Christians about how to live in a more efficient and productive way.

That’s why I really appreciate what Matt Perman has been doing at his blog, What’s Best Next, for a number of years. He has been plugging away at persuading Christians how to do good works not just by listening to sermons, but by reading and studying leadership, organization, productivity and administration through the lens of Scripture. Here’s a great post that sums up his whole approach: Productivity is really about good works. And I’d also highly recommend this interview Matt gave to Christianity Today.

There’s always the risk that a re-emphasis on good works in the Christian life, can end up separating the Christian from the source of his/her life, the Gospel of grace. However, from what I can see, Matt is walking the grace/works tightrope very skilfully. I’m eagerly anticipating his book on the subject next year and hope that God will use Matt’s research, insight, and writing gifts to stir up and incite His people to grace-works.

And as we are on the subject, let me give you the 1-Step-Plan to Superproductivity. You won’t like it!

There they sit. Undone. Gathering dust. Accusing. Seven jobs that have been on my to-do list now for about 10 weeks: two unpredictable phone calls, one tricky email, two challenging articles, one long report, one feared meeting. They have all been near the top a few times, before being safely relegated to the familiar territory of “tomorrow” once again.

I could get some of them off my list in about 30 minutes. I could get rid of all of them in about 10 hours. Yet there they still sit, heaping guilt and failure upon me. I dread doing them. I dread seeing them undone. The only happy one here is my old “friend,” procrastination. As I settle down to start, he gently settles on my shoulder with his winning arguments: “You’ll feel more like doing this tomorrow….You work best under pressure…Time pressure makes you more creative…It isn’t that important…Maybe you should check your email first.”  

So, I’m thankful to Gretchen Rubin, of Happiness Project fame, for passing along Six tips for forcing yourself to tackle a dreaded task:

1. Do it first thing in the morning. One of my Twelve Commandments is “Do it now.” No delay is the best way.

2. If you find yourself putting off a task that you try to do several times a week, do it EVERY day. If you’re finding it hard to go for a walk four times a week, try going every day.

3. Have someone keep you company. Studies show that we enjoy practically every activity more when we’re with other people.

4. Make preparations, assemble the proper tools. Clean off your desk, get the phone number, find the file. I often find that when I’m dreading a task, it helps me to feel prepared. 

5. Commit. We’ve all heard the advice to write down your goals. On the top of a piece of paper, write, “By the end of today, April 7, I will have _____.”

6. Remind yourself that finishing a dreaded task is tremendously energizing. Studies show that hitting a goal releases chemicals in the brain that give you pleasure. If you’re feeling blue, although the last thing you feel like doing is something you don’t feel like doing, push yourself. You’ll get a big lift from it.

Read the whole article here. No, don’t. Do the dreaded job first.

Picture: 2009 © Marek Uliasz. Image from BigStockPhoto.com