Activity.

The year was 1937.

On December 21, Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles, California. It was the first full-length feature film Disney animated and produced. It became an instant classic. 

Today, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves continues to be one of the most beloved animated films of all time.

As the title suggests, there are seven dwarves whose lives fortuitously intersect with the story’s fair princess. These peculiar characters all live in a cottage deep in the woods and work in a nearby mine. They are all quite different but have one endearing thing in common—singing. 

At one point, they sing a telling song. It’s a catchy tune that easily gets stuck in your head. In it, the dwarves sing of their days spent laboriously digging, and digging, and digging for precious jewels. From “early morn till night,” they endlessly toil. It is a song about their work. 

Their ACTIVITY.

For many of us, this is our song also. Granted, we’re not likely plugging away with picks and shovels inside some musky jewel mine deep in the middle of an enchanted forest. But we are just as busy, working just as hard, cramming more and more activity into our already overscheduled days. 

Don’t misunderstand me here. Working hard is not a bad thing. It’s a good thing. It’s what we were created to do. It’s part of what it means for humans to be made in God’s image. For six days, God worked. And, being made like Him, we are also to be engaged in meaningful work. 

Think about it.

In Genesis 2, God builds a beautiful garden. He brings Adam into it. He shows him around a bit. Then, God gives him the command to work and take care of the garden. Adam is called to participate with God in accomplishing meaningful work. 

This is still our calling today. 

But, we need to be careful that we’re not overworking and living in a state of constant frenzy. That’s a bad thing. It is what happens when we equate constant activity with productivity. People think, the more activities I can pack onto my calendar, the more productive I am. This is not true!

We need to:

Slow down. 

Pause. 

Evaluate our activities.

And do only the ones that enable us to accomplish our goals.

Then, we’ll truly be productive!

White Space Moment

What do you think it looks like to participate with God in meaningful work?

How are you doing this?