Listening to a couple of guys chatting on a podcast about productivity sent me into my library to scan a good book I’ve read a couple of times–Essentialism by Greg McKeown.
The book is sort of an evangelistic message for helping us become more productive, more effective, and less stressed while doing it.
He talks about some classic things like learning to say no, focusing on what’s important, eliminating extraneous tasks and effort, watching your health, and the like.
But McKeown dropped this little gem on me:
Think of it as something you are. It is a different way–a simpler way–of doing everything. It becomes a lifestyle. It becomes an all-encompassing approach to living and leading. It becomes the essence of who we are.
I thought about this for a while.
Isn’t being a follower of Jesus like that?
It is not politics.
It is not singing a few songs with people we know and listening to a preacher once a week–most weeks.
It is not proving I’m better than someone else.
It is not about separating the sheep from the goats before the final judgement.
On the other hand…
It is following Matthew 25–feeding the hungry, healing the sick, visiting the prisoner.
It is like the “Good Samaritan.”
It is living out our spiritual gifts every day.
It is treating everyone we meet with respect and the love of God.
It is going the second mile.
It is becoming one with God just like our teacher was.
It is a way of life.
Faith Venture 
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