I often helped around the house growing up. Contributing involves work. What teenage boy enjoys work? I often found myself complaining and my dad would always reply, “Jason, if work was supposed to be fun, it would be called fun, not work.” There is quite a bit of truth in this; not all work will be fun, but that does not mean we cannot schedule fun and play.
If all we do is work, placing our impact before our identity, our perceived work can diminish simply into achievement.
Margin is not just about achieving more, but being more. Margin allows creativity to flourish. Creativity is a natural byproduct of being a creation of The Creator Himself. We are His workmanship. Life as human beings is like a journey through the wilderness.
On this wilderness journey of life there is still purpose, there is still work, there are still dangers, but there is still joy in it. Bill Mason says, ”The purpose of a wilderness journey is not to get from one end of the trail to the other, but to enjoy the landscape, and adapt to its ever-changing moods.” Creativity finds us in the margins.
Why do we avoid margin and focus on getting to “the end of the trail?” To most high achievers margin is considered wasted time. It’s inefficient, because the bottom line has to be met. We buy the lie that efficiency is more important than effectiveness. But, if we focus on quality over quantity, it actually increases our efficiency.
Why? Because we are doing the right things rather than all the things.
What would happen if you pursued margin? You can both create margin creatively and create in the
margin. Through intentional scheduling you will become more effective, less busy, more fruitful, and
more joyful.
We have a resource that will help you identify things you need to start doing,
stop doing, and keep doing to increase your health and impact.
Maybe you need a free evening, to create something or play your guitar. Perhaps when we speak of creativity and margin, it’s not just about our own creativity, but purposefully giving time and space for the Lord to do something creative in and through us for the sake of the kingdom. These interruptions are worth planning for.
We can’t always journey well on our own.
Jason Phelps
Network Coach
I help kingdom leaders cultivate healthy rhythms and pursue a life worth imitating. I do this through applying tools, language, and vision that cultivates greater clarity and reduced overwhelm. I desire to leverage a decade of experience in church planting, missional discipleship, and senior leadership to help you live and lead with the health and impact you were designed for.