Sanctification Over Striving: Rethinking Productivity

With the start of a new year, many people begin making resolutions and setting fresh goals. Whether it’s starting a new diet, eating healthier, joining a gym, or simply asking, “How can I be more productive this year?”—January 1st tends to feel like the perfect fresh start.

This year, one of my personal goals is to read more—but not just anything. I want to read the actual books sitting on my bookshelf. I read quite a bit already, but most of it has been on my Kindle. Meanwhile, my physical books have been quietly collecting dust. So this year, my goal is to give them the attention they deserve—reading from my shelf just as much as from my screen.

I started today with two books: How Can I Feel Productive as a Mom? by Esther Engelsma, and the devotional Praying Through the Bible for Your Kids by Nancy Guthrie. And honestly, after just the first devotional entry and a few pages into the productivity book, I already felt compelled to share some powerful truths—reminders I think are worth keeping in mind.

First, when we think about productivity as parents—especially as moms—it’s easy to focus on how much we’re getting done. We often tie our worth to our checklist. And even when we do check everything off, we may still feel like we’re not as productive as someone else. This feeling is especially common in a culture that sometimes dismisses stay-at-home moms for “not working.”

But here’s the truth: God’s call for us isn’t about how much we accomplish in a day. Productivity in His eyes is not measured by completed tasks, but by faithfulness in the roles He’s given us.

Esther Engelsma writes:

God's call to you is not to get things donw but to use time well. God's will for you is not to get things donw but to grow in sanctification. God's purpose in creating you is not to ge things done but to glorify Him. Getting things done is part of using time well. Using time well is part of growing in sanctification. Growing in sanctification is part of glorifying God. The end of it all is to glorify God.

I found it so thought-provoking that productivity was described as a tool—a means, not an end. That perspective really stood out to me. Because the truth is, if we treat productivity as the ultimate goal, we’ll never feel satisfied. There will always be more to do.

In light of that, Nancy Guthrie shares a prayer for parents to pray over their children—but I believe it’s also a meaningful prayer to pray over ourselves.

Creator, we need you to do a creative work in our home that only you can do. We need your Spirit to hover as we open up your Word day by day for the coming year. Let there be light in our home. May it penetrate the dark corners and expose what is hidden. Bring order to our disordered ways of relating to each other and to you. Fill up the empty places with your beauty and life. As parents, we don't have the power to create spiritual life in ______. Only you can do that. So won't you do your creative work in ______? Shape his/her life into something beautiful for your glory. Enlighten his/her eyes to see you. Fill his/her life with you good gifts. Amen.

With that said, just reading those few pages was a much-needed wake-up call—a gentle jolt to remind me not to rely on myself, but to depend on God in everything I do. He knows my strengths and my limitations. He knows what truly needs to be done—and what can wait.

When we push ourselves too hard, our attitudes often suffer, and that sour mood certainly doesn’t glorify God. But when we approach our tasks with the Fruit of the Spirit—with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—we begin to reflect Him, even if our to-do list isn’t fully checked off.