The Importance of Motivation in Christian Productivity

When it comes to productivity as Christians, our motives are crucial. What sets us apart from non-believers in our work is not simply the quality or output, but rather our motivation. Our goal should be to please the Lord and serve others in our work. However, we often find ourselves tempted to fall back into self-centered motivations for our work. This can be seen in our desire to please others, such as our bosses, clients, or spouses, rather than working as unto the Lord. We must examine the source of these temptations and identify the idol of competence, which leads us to tie our worth to our output. To truly honor God and serve others in our work, we need to disentangle our productivity from the idol of competence and focus on seeking God's affirmation rather than the approval of people.