Busyness: Temptations and the Heart's Revelation
To complement our sermon series in Ecclesiastes, we will be publishing articles that pick up on some of the themes in the book. Nehemiah Chong reflects on how we can think about work, productivity and busyness – our temptations and also how the gospel ultimately transforms our work. Nehemiah is also one of our lay elders, and he manages an F&B business as his full-time job.
The narrative of being productive and hard-working is deeply ingrained in us, both young and old. Growing up we were taught over and over – work hard, apply yourself, strive for excellence, do well – all good things, and it is a disposition that drives us to work hard, keep busy and stay productive. How does that sit with a Christian’s worldview?
As a Christian, should I strive to be productive and busy?
Arguably, this is what we are called to do and be as Christians – Colossians 3:23 and Proverbs 14:23 come to mind, as we too are commanded to work hard as God’s people. We should be clear that it is a good and godly thing to work hard and be productive. The flip side of this is helpful – Proverbs has much to say about slothfulness and idleness (Prov 12:24, 19:15), and Paul himself has harsh words for those who refuse to work – “let him not eat” (2 Thess 3:6, 10-12). As sinners saved by grace, it would be incorrect and unwise of us to exchange our idol worship for idle worship.
Man was created and immediately set to work to rule over creation, to name it, to be fruitful and multiply, to work the ground and all of creation that it may flourish (Gen 2). Indeed in our productivity and work, we fulfil what we were created to be – images of God. The almighty creator God is one who works. He spoke, He designed, He created and He rested after He worked. In the same way, we too are called to image Him in this way.
If productivity and busyness are such good things, why is it so hard?
The argument to work hard, keep busy and stay productive is an easy one to make. However, as sinners on this side of heaven, we just as easily take a good thing and make it bad. The problem with productivity and busyness is not work in itself. Rather, it is what our sinful hearts do with that work.
The problem with productivity and busyness is not work in itself. Rather, it is what our sinful hearts do with that work.
We live in a world that rewards and glorifies busyness and measures worth by ones’ productivity. Our hearts are tempted daily to turn away from the salvation and security we have in Jesus Christ that gives us life, and instead turn to the work of our hands to define our identity, our worth and our lives. It is no wonder that we so quickly and easily fill our minds and calendars with endless events and engagements. How else do our sinful hearts and desires corrupt a good and godly desire to work hard? Three come to mind:
The temptation of self-worth and performance: We are tempted to derive our identity and worth from what we accomplish. Our overflowing calendars and long to-do lists become a testament to our significance, a form of vanity, a measure of self-worth. If we are not constantly producing, we fear we are not valuable, loved, or even godly. This stems from a heart that seeks justification and acceptance not in God's grace, but in human achievement.
The temptation of self-sufficiency and control: The desire to control our time, our outcomes, and even the "seasons" of our lives reveals in us a distrust in our sovereign God. Perhaps we doubt that He is for our good, perhaps we doubt that He would care about us – how much more sure and settled we feel being able to seize control and do what we need to do! Behind such thinking is a self-centred, self-sufficient spirit, one that struggles to truly trust in God, and one that instead relies on our own strength and smarts.
The temptation of self-glorification and the fear of man: The desire to seek our own glory is not foreign to any of us – oh what a feeling it is to receive praise and recognition for a job well done! Our hearts crave recognition and glorification from others, whether parents, managers, colleagues or friends – “just tell me how good I am!” It is easy to justify this with a sense of excellence and a striving for competence – did we not just make a biblical argument for a good day’s work? Yet, the flip side of this reveals much more – when we do not get the affirmation and glory that we so crave, or receive feedback that our work is sub-par, how quickly do we crumble? And so we push to do more, to do better. Our busyness becomes a performance for others, rather than an offering to God. Self-glorification exposes a heart that is more concerned with external approval from man, than peace and obedience to God.
While we meticulously plan our schedules and strive for efficiency, the sovereign hand of God orchestrates the grand tapestry of existence, including our moments of work, rest, joy, and sorrow.
These temptations reveal a fundamental misalignment in our hearts – a tendency to seek life, worth, and purpose in created things rather than in the Creator. To such a life, the Preacher's wisdom in Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 comes as a sober declaration: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." While we meticulously plan our schedules and strive for efficiency, the sovereign hand of God orchestrates the grand tapestry of existence, including our moments of work, rest, joy, and sorrow.
The Gospel's Transformation: Redefining Time and Productivity
How, then, does the gospel change the way we think about busyness and productivity? The good news of Jesus Christ frees us from the temptations of unhealthy busyness and self-justifying productivity.
Resting in Accomplished Grace: The gospel declares that we are saved not by our work, but for good works, purely by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Jesus‘ perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection mean that our peace with God is already secured. We do not have to earn His love or prove our worth. Productivity flows out of this rest, not as a means to achieve it. This changes success from a source of pride to an occasion for gratitude, and failure from a cause for despair to an opportunity to lean more fully on Christ's sufficient grace.
Redefining Purpose and Eternity: Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, "he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." The gospel answers this longing for eternity. Our lives "under the sun" gain profound meaning because they are part of God's eternal plan, culminating in Christ making all things new. Our work, no matter how mundane, can be an act of worship and a contribution to His kingdom, rather than a futile striving. This allows us to embrace all of life's seasons with hope, and work with the end in mind.
Working with joy and excellence: The countercultural message of the gospel is that we are not saved by our works, but by Christ’s alone. Our identity and salvation is secure not by the work of our hands, but by Christ’s work on the cross. This frees us from seeking validation and meaning and value in what we do, because our true and eternal meaning and value come in Christ alone. What then does this do for the work of our hands? Oh how freeing a thought! We can strive not for our names’ sake, but because God has commanded us to work, and work well. It’s no wonder the Preacher says in Ecclesiastes 3:12–13 “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.” When we can see our work as an opportunity to serve our God, to love those He has placed around us in our workplace, to be excellent not because we crave glory, but because it helps us image our almighty creator God who Himself works. What a joy it is to be excellent.
When viewed through the lens of Christ's finished work, work becomes a gift we steward, and productivity a joyful response to His grace.
Busyness and productivity, when untethered from the gospel, easily become idols that consume our lives and reveal a heart chasing after fleeting satisfaction. However, when viewed through the lens of Christ's finished work, work becomes a gift we steward, and productivity a joyful response to His grace. Our worth is secure in Him, our purpose is eternal, and our work flows from a place of deep rest in God. May we be a people that works well.