Here’s one way to state the essence of my book, in the words of Spurgeon:
Be diligent in action. Put all your irons into the fire. Use every faculty for Jesus. Be wide-awake to watch opportunities, and quick to seize upon them.
That’s what I’m trying to help you do, and that’s why I wrote my book.
I spend the first part fleshing out what productivity really is from a Christian perspective and why it matters (namely, so you can maximally steward all your gifts and opportunities and faculties for the glory of Jesus); then in the rest of the book, I lay out practical strategies for actually getting things done in the midst of all the opportunities and distractions that constantly multiply around us.
The biggest influences on my book include, from the old days:
- William Wilberforce
- Jonathan Edwards
- Martin Luther
- John Calvin
- Augustine
- William Carey
- Charles Spurgeon
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones
- Jim Elliot (though I don’t quote him)
- John Wesley
- The Macadonian Christians in 2 Corinthians 8
- The apostle Paul
- Many others
And from the current days:
- Jesus
- Tim Keller
- John Piper
- JI Packer
- Wayne Grudem
- Peter Drucker
- Tim Sanders
- Keith Ferrazzi
- David Allen
- Stephen Covey
- Seth Godin
- Daniel Pink
- Scott Belsky
- Chip and Dan Heath
- Marcus Buckingham
- Many of my friends
- Christians I’ve met around the world, both online and in person
- Many others
What does someone like the 18th century theologian Jonathan Edwards have to say about productivity in the 21st Century? A lot. You’ll see when you get into the book. I think, perhaps, this conjunction of the old and the new, along with utilizing the best secular thinking within a robust Christian framework, might make it unlike any book you’ve read (in a good sense!). We’ll see.
In terms of the status of the book: we are still finishing revisions, but we do have a publication date which I’ll share with you when I have the time.
I just wanted to write this post up because I came across that Spurgeon quote again during the revisions, and wanted to share it with you.
Have a great weekend!