In order to be truly productive, we need to understand value.
The greatest damage we can do to our productivity is to work for the wrong goals. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, offers insight into what really matters.
God saw that [what he made] was good… it was good… it was good… it was good… it was good… it was good… it was very good.
Genesis 1;4; 1:10; 1:12; 1:18; 1:21; 1:25; 1:31 (NIV)
In Genesis, we meet the God who made all things:
- Light
- Sky
- Land and seas, plants and trees
- Sun, moon and stars
- Sea creatures and birds
- Animals and humans
After each day, God declared that what He had made was “good”. Finally, on His last day of work, God looked back over all that He had made, and He declared that everything he had made was not just good, but “very good”.
From this we see that:
- The God of Genesis values the natural world, even when it doesn’t immediately provide benefits to humans.
- All living things are valuable to Him. Indeed, God created a universe with the intention that it would provide sustenance for all of live.
- Right at the top of God’s list of priorities is the human life. Because God values people above all else.
So, from a Genesis perspective, true value is primarily about human growth and flourishing, but also encompasses all living things, and has respect for the natural world.
Acknoweldgemnts
- Image courtesy Ben White via Unsplash.