What’s Best Next?
In the rhythm of ministry and leadership, it’s easy to become consumed by the pressure to be efficient — to get more done, respond faster, meet every demand. But what if true productivity isn’t about doing more, but about doing what matters most in light of God’s call?
I first read this book a decade or so ago now and have recently come back to it. Matt Perman’s What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done offers a refreshing, deeply theological vision of productivity. It reframes our work not as performance, but as gospel-shaped service. At its core is a freeing truth:
“Productivity is not first about getting more things done faster. It’s about getting the right things done.”
And in Christian life and our work the “right things” are always rooted in love — for God, for others, and for the world God calls us to serve.
The Heart of the Book: Productivity as Love in Action
Perman draws on insights from the world of time management (including David Allen’s Getting Things Done) but grounds everything in a Christ-centred theology of vocation. He writes:
“The guiding principle of the Christian life is not efficiency, but love.”
That shift is crucial. For Perman, productivity isn’t about squeezing more into your day. It’s about stewarding your life so that you can do the most good for others to the glory of God.
In this light, being productive isn’t a matter of control — it’s a practice of attentiveness. It’s a response to grace, and a participation in God’s redemptive work.
Four Movements Toward Gospel-Driven Effectiveness (DARE Framework)
Perman introduces a simple but profound process:
Define what’s most important: Identify your God-given purpose and priorities.
Architect your life and systems around that: Create structures that support your calling.
Reduce distractions: Eliminate what pulls you away from what matters.
Execute effectively: Focus on doing the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons.
This model is not about perfection — it’s about faithful presence and wise stewardship.
Key Insights for Life and Leadership
Productivity is about effectiveness, not just efficiency. It’s not how much we get done, but what kind of good we bring to others.
The heart of productivity is love. Whether preparing a sermon, writing an email, or listening deeply to someone in pain, productivity is about offering yourself to others in Christ’s name.
Clarity on calling matters. A personal mission statement, rooted in gospel purpose, becomes a compass for what we say yes and no to.
Sustainability requires structure. Thoughtful routines, weekly reviews, and planning practices are spiritual disciplines — not just tools.
What This Means for Your Work
In pastoral life or the work of helping professions, where demands are constant and outcomes intangible, this gospel-centred model offers deep encouragement:
You don’t have to do everything. You have to do what God calls you to.
Productivity isn’t about proving yourself — it’s about participating in the good God is doing.
Planning and organisation are not secular or selfish. They’re acts of love when they free us to be more present, more responsive, and more faithful.
A Final Word of Grace
In a world obsessed with hustle, What’s Best Next invites us to recover a grace-shaped rhythm of work. It reminds us that we are not machines, but image-bearers. And the best thing we can do next is often the simplest — the next act of love, done attentively, faithfully, and with God.
“You are here to do something — and that something is to do good for others, to the glory of God.” – Matt Perman
🌿 Reflection Exercise
“Productivity is not first about getting more things done faster. It’s about getting the right things done.” – Matt Perman
Begin by sitting quietly for a few minutes. Mediate on the quote above for a moment or two:
What words or images arise for you when you hear the phrase “the right things”?
What assumptions do you carry about productivity in your role?
🧭 Guided Reflection: The DARE Framework
Reflect on the four movements of gospel-shaped effectiveness. You may wish to journal your responses or bring them to supervision.
1. Define: What’s Most Important
What do I sense God is calling me to focus on in this season?
Where might I be confusing urgency with importance?
2. Architect: Build Life Around Purpose
What habits, systems, or boundaries support my calling?
Where does my current structure serve me — or hinder me?
3. Reduce: Eliminate Distractions
What drains my energy or distracts me from being present to what matters?
What might I need to say no to, in order to say a deeper yes?
4. Execute: Do the Right Thing, the Right Way
What is “the next faithful step” I sense God inviting me to take?
How might I act on this without striving, but with grace?
💬 Supervision Conversation Prompts
Use these to shape your next supervision conversation:
Where am I tempted to equate my worth with my output?
How am I discerning “what’s best next” in the rhythm of my week?
What does love-led productivity look like in my current context?
What resistance do I feel when I try to slow down, simplify, or clarify?
✍🏼 Personal Integration
Take time to write a “Love-Driven Productivity Statement” — a brief reflection or intention that names how you want to approach your work.
Examples:
“I want to steward my energy so I can love people well, not just get through the day.”
“I will let clarity on calling guide my decisions, trusting I don’t need to do everything.”
“I choose a rhythm of grace, not hustle — trusting that fruitfulness flows from faithfulness.”
Closing Prayer
“You are here to do something — and that something is to do good for others, to the glory of God.” – Matt Perman
Prayer
Lord of rest and rhythm,
Teach me to discern what matters.
Anchor my activity in love.
Free me from the fear of not doing enough.
Shape my days not by hustle,
But by holy attentiveness.
Amen.
