I was about to make a comment, to one of my children, about being productive, when the thought struck me. Why do we always think of productivity in regards to things temporal/physical/monetary? When one stops and considers to what the term actually refers, it simply is about producing. And producing something that one considers valuable. So clearly, an underlying definition is being exposed herein.
When we have accomplished our day and have been "productive", it means that we have produced that which we intended or hoped to produce. Whether it be widgets or sales figures or a trailer full of crop x, y, z. But what about things spiritual? Do we ever think of a visit to a monastery as "productive"? Do we every finish our Lenten fast (or any fast for that matter) and looking back, consider the time "productive"? I would think that we probably do not.
But in this I think we are exposing a serious flaw in our hearts and minds.
When we look at the length of our physical life, in comparison to the eternity that stretches out before us, it is almost nil. But the time that we do have, as free will agents of 80 to 100 years, the time is very important. For this short time we have in our struggle against sin, is the only time we have to form our souls, to seek after holiness and to fight against sin.
So really, we have a tiny sliver of time to prepare ourselves for eternity. And that is something that we really must strive in and be productive.
When we have accomplished our day and have been "productive", it means that we have produced that which we intended or hoped to produce. Whether it be widgets or sales figures or a trailer full of crop x, y, z. But what about things spiritual? Do we ever think of a visit to a monastery as "productive"? Do we every finish our Lenten fast (or any fast for that matter) and looking back, consider the time "productive"? I would think that we probably do not.
But in this I think we are exposing a serious flaw in our hearts and minds.
When we look at the length of our physical life, in comparison to the eternity that stretches out before us, it is almost nil. But the time that we do have, as free will agents of 80 to 100 years, the time is very important. For this short time we have in our struggle against sin, is the only time we have to form our souls, to seek after holiness and to fight against sin.
So really, we have a tiny sliver of time to prepare ourselves for eternity. And that is something that we really must strive in and be productive.
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