Productivity

“An empty stable stays clean, but there is no income from any empty stable. ” Proverbs 14:4

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

Underline the key concepts found in this principle.

The root word of productivity is productive or fertile. It is the result of an activity. To be fertile is to be able to produce or to reproduce. We say, "Good land is fertile land," meaning it is valuable because it has ability to produce. If managed right, it can make us wealthy by giving us income from the activity that we manage on it. Like an empty stable that stays clean, so no activity produces no income. Land without managed activity cannot make us wealthy. It is the activity or productivity of the land that produces the income. Just like land has ability to produce, so God said, "I have given you the power to create wealth." He did not give us wealth, but gave us the ability to create or get it. The key to getting it is activity or productivity. The first command ever given to man was to "be fruitful and multiply" (produce and reproduce). God created all things, then gave them to man to manage. The outcome of what God created, or gave us, is in our hands.

A banker once visited a farmer, one of his clients. As he drove along the white fences, well-kept buildings, and flowered, well-manicured lawn, he was amazed at the beauty of it. He commented to the farmer, "God has given you the most beautiful farm in this valley." The farmer looked at his fields and thought of the hard work and effort it took, and replied, "Yeah! He sure has. But you should have seen it when He had it by Himself." See, the potential was in the land and the farmer. But it took the productiveness of the farmer to bring it to wealth.

In every man or woman there is a potential home, farm or business. It is up to us to produce it and manage it. God has given us the ability and the energy, and supplied us with resources. If we fail, it is not His fault. In most cases, it’s the lack of productivity. There are three things very important to every one of us if we want to be successful:

1. Be productive: earn your way through life.

2. Manage what you produce: take care of it and maintain it.

3. Do it efficiently: measure your quantity and quality.

The key to effectiveness is to manage hard work and productivity on one side, with control and stewardship on the other side. We should never stand back and be satisfied with just being organized. Organization without productivity equals failure. Many times production is made up of "managing messes." We should see beauty in a certain amount of disorganization - it may be a sign of someone working. Building creates sawdust and dirt. A clean stable has no horses. We cannot be productive without having some type of disorder.

Many big corporations are learning some hard facts: too many unproductive, organized chiefs (clean stables) spend most of their time enjoying their benefit programs, and are not being productive. That’s why we downsize. Being productive may not seem to be in style, and it may seem unorganized at times, but it still works best for the bottom line. Thank God for work horses messing up the stable - they generate income.

This principle is part of the one year character development program: Foundations For Achievement.

Thoughts to Ponder:
Success comes when we fall in love with the work it takes to fulfill our dreams..