Living from Well Pleased

Escaping the relentless pursuit of productivity

In April 2026, as we gather at the Outcomes Conference, we will consider the theme “Multiply.” This is an idea that holds both promise and peril for Christian leaders. The promise lies in discovering and trusting God’s vision, timing, and provision for the growth of our ministries. The peril lies in believing this work depends solely on us.

Perils of Productivity

This peril results when our desire to achieve, produce, and make an impact morphs into a drivenness that threatens to undo us. It is not only “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matt. 13:22) that choke out the good seed God plants, but so do our kingdom-building attitudes.

This may sound harsh, but I find many Christian leaders are in bondage to a relentless pursuit of productivity. We measure our success by kingdom accomplishments. We believe our sincere desire to produce fruit for Jesus justifies our burnout, stress, damaged marriages and families, and other failures. But does this truly glorify him? Is the treadmill of productivity that drives us to unhealthy lifestyles really the way God created us to live and lead? Would God call us into his work, knowing that our only path to success requires us to work ourselves to death?

Examining our Motivations

As we consider what it means to “multiply,” let’s begin by examining our prideful hearts. Let’s ensure our drivenness is not merely a veneer of seemingly Christian motivations. Such motivations ultimately throw us back on our own resources to produce, grow, and succeed. Left unchecked, we will keep working, striving, and producing out of a deeply discontented spirit that can never be satisfied. The fruit produced from this pursuit is unpalatable and quickly spoils. It is not, as Jesus commanded, “fruit that will last” (John 15:16).

We spend so much time working for Jesus that we leave no time for him to work in us.

Oswald Chambers makes the chilling statement, “The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him” (My Utmost for His Highest, Jan. 18). We spend so much time working for Jesus that we leave no time for him to work in us.

This penchant for endless productivity is often driven by the desire to hear Jesus say to us on our final day, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:23). Yet strive as we might, deep down we realize that no matter how much we work or produce, we cannot honestly believe we will deserve such commendation from our Lord. So why do we persist?

A Well-Pleased God

Let me offer an alternative motivation. In Matthew chapter 3, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. As he comes out of the water, something amazing happens: a dove descends upon him, the heavens open, and his heavenly Father pronounces an unequivocal statement of who Jesus is and what his disposition is before him. Remember, this commendation comes from the Father before Jesus called a disciple, healed anyone, fed 5,000, walked on water, turned water into wine, raised the dead, or preached a single word about the coming kingdom of God, salvation, and grace. At this moment, Jesus had not accomplished one thing in his professional life for which anyone should commend him.

Literally before he could take a breath after his baptism, before one minute of his official ministry on earth had commenced, the Father has something to say about him. Right there. Right where he was. And, right in that moment. Before he could point to anything that would point back to himself, God proclaims this word: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 13:17)

My dear friends, have you heard those words spoken over you?

Finding Deep Contentment

I believe God calls us to live from his pronouncement of “well pleased,” not for some future commendation of “well done.”

Living from well pleased is where the power to live for Jesus is experienced.

Living from well pleased is where the power to live for Jesus is experienced. It confirms our identity in Christ, the firm foundation upon which we can do anything he asks. Living from well pleased moves us beyond ourselves, allowing us to be transformed from owners pursuing productivity to stewards embracing faithfulness. Also, living from well pleased means living in the trust, faith, and daily provision of God and God alone. It is the life of the steward humbly laying his or her life before God. They allow God to do all that he wants in and through them.

Living from well pleased is the source of our deep contentment.

Experiencing Freedom, Joy and Peace

How much freedom would we experience in our lives and leadership if our sole motivation were to live and lead with the joy and peace that emanates from this pronouncement?

What if we started every morning letting those words permeate our spirit and went forth to make hard decisions, live in a deeply broken and sinful world, and lead in the most challenging circumstances? What if we lived without needing to be successful, receive accolades, or check off a list of achievements? And, what if our heart’s deepest desire was knowing that if we are faithful, as one approved by God, we will be at peace in all he’s called us to do?

Living from well pleased helps us shape our priorities according to kingdom principles. It allows us to absorb criticism and deflect praise onto others. It keeps us amazingly humble. And it gives us the courage to do anything God calls us to do.

Examining Scripture as a whole, we find little that commands or even suggests that God desires our life to be measured and valued by what we accomplish for him. Our penchant for doing, striving, building, expanding, growing, overworking, and proving ourselves is a wholly human-centered reading of God’s Word.

A Holy Contentment

I’ll go further: working for God and achieving ministry goals is never the main focus of God’s command to us. It is always an outcome of our relationship with Christ, never a measure of it.

In a real sense, God is the only multiplier.

On the other hand, Scripture is filled with admonitions for us to trust, wait, ask, and expect. We trust that God will lead us. We wait for his timing. And we ask for his guidance and blessing. We expect that, as we do, he will do great things in and through us.

I define this posture of trusting, waiting, asking, and expecting as holy contentment. From this posture, God will expand his kingdom in his way and in his time. In a real sense, God is the only multiplier.

The faithful steward believes that God owns everything and will supply all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Faithful stewards cultivate hearts of surrender. They place themselves in a position to bear the fruit of the Spirit as God works in and through them. Success is redefined in kingdom terms of faithfulness, trusting God for the outcomes. This Spirit-led, Christ-centered worldview engenders a true sense of holy contentment in the steward’s heart.

Trusting in a God of Deep Abundance

Before we learn how God might desire us to “multiply,” let’s commit to praying against our discontented, scarcity mindset. This mindsetconstantly drives us to be more, do more, grow more, and accomplish more. Instead, let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to cultivate in us a heart of deep contentment, trusting in a God of abundance, and being grateful for what he has provided. From that place of stability and joy, God can move us into new opportunities, open doors for new ways to serve him, and lead us into seasons of growth and expansion, which we can meet fully prepared to be used by him.

That is the type of multiplying that will be worth celebrating!

Parts of this article were excerpted from Dr. Rodin’s new book, “ENOUGH: Finding Deep Contentment in an Anxious and Fearful World” available through Kingdom Life Publishing (www.kingdomlifepublishing.com) and all major bookstores.

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Dr. R. Scott Rodin has taught and consulted with ministries across five continents to improve their effectiveness in leadership, fund development, strategic planning, and board development. His books and articles are translated into over twenty languages. He is Senior Consultant/Chief Strategy Officer for The Focus Group and he blogs regularly at thecsls.org. He and his wife Linda live in Spokane, Washington.

Dr. R. Scott Rodin will lead a workshop entitled “Set Free to Lead” at The Outcomes Conference 2026 in Dallas, April 28 – 30. Learn More and Register >>