The Dance Between Doing and Being

We've spent March in the gap between principle and practice. Being faithful when your calling doesn't match your calendar. Releasing burdens you were never meant to carry. Reading your dashboard before something breaks in you.

Now we close the series with the hardest balance for achievement-oriented leaders: the dance between doing and being.

Results matter. Excellence matters. But not at the expense of your soul.

So how do you stay productive without sacrificing self-care, spiritual health, and the presence that makes life worth living?

The Rhythm Jesus Shows Us

If anyone had permission to operate in perpetual motion, it was Jesus. The mission was urgent. The need was overwhelming. Crowds pressed in constantly. People were dying, suffering, desperate.

Yet Jesus withdrew. Regularly.

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35)

This wasn't occasional. It was rhythmic. He'd engage deeply with people—healing, teaching, investing—and then He'd pull away. To pray. To be with the Father. To restore.

Notice what happened when the disciples found Him in that solitary place: "Everyone is looking for you!" they said.

Translation: You're needed. Get back to work.

Jesus' response? "Let us go somewhere else." (Mark 1:38)

He didn't rush back because people were waiting. He moved forward from a place of connection with the Father, not from the pressure of external demands.

This is the rhythm: engage, withdraw, engage, withdraw.

Doing flows from being. When you skip the being, the doing becomes depleting instead of life-giving.

Productivity vs. Presence

Our culture has trained us to measure everything by productivity. What did you accomplish? What did you produce? What can you point to at the end of the day?

But Kingdom fruitfulness is measured differently.

Jesus spent entire days with just twelve people. By productivity standards, that's terrible ROI. He should have been speaking to thousands, not investing in a small group of rough-edged fishermen. Yet those twelve turned the world upside down.

As I continue to build and roll out LeaderPrint Executive Communities, this concept is core to the vision. Busy leaders don’t need more focus on mechanics and results – they are thirsty for more “being” time in the company of other leaders. Time to hear from God, and time to just be. In our agenda, 60% of the day is devoted to that - in a safe, quiet place. Breathe. Unload. Receive. Be re-anchored in heart and spirit. Then return to the mission field of your business with renewed focus, perspective, and fruitfulness.

Mary sat at Jesus' feet while Martha hustled in the kitchen. Martha complained that Mary wasn't helping. Jesus defended Mary: "Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better." (Luke 10:42)

Presence over productivity. Being over doing.

This doesn't mean doing nothing. It means recognizing that who you're becoming is as important—maybe more important—than what you're producing.

Personal note: When others in the leadership development space discuss learning models, business frameworks, and KPI’s with me, I lose interest. Not because those things aren’t important – they are just not what I’m being called to do. My mission is to equip leaders to become who God designed them to be. My focus is about who you are becoming above all else. Then, when the becoming is aligned, the results, the doing, will naturally flow. We have a God with immense creativity, power, and love. He is a God of order and a God of blessings, prosperity, healthy growth, and eternal grace.

 

Will It Matter?

Here's the question that cuts through the noise for Christian leaders: Will this matter for the Kingdom?

Not: Will this make me look productive? Not: Will this impress anyone? Not: Will this keep me busy?

But: Will this produce fruit that lasts? Will this make a difference in the world?

Busyness is not the same as fruitfulness. You can fill every hour of your day and still miss what God is actually doing. You can check every box on your list and still neglect the one conversation, the one moment of presence, the one act of obedience that would have eternal weight.

Jesus said, "I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." (John 15:16)

Fruit that lasts doesn't come from frenetic activity. It comes from abiding. From staying connected to the vine. From being rooted in the source of life before you try to produce anything from it.

If your doing isn't flowing from your being, you're working from an empty well. And empty wells produce nothing that lasts. This reminds me of what God told the prophet Jeremiah about the people of Israel at the time:  Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” (NLT)

Self-Care as Stewardship

Here's the reframe that changes everything: self-care isn't selfish. It's stewardship.

You are a resource that God has entrusted to fulfill His purposes. Your body, your mind, your emotions, your spirit—these aren't incidental. They're the vessel through which God works in the world.

When you neglect yourself, you're neglecting something that belongs to God.

Think about it: if someone loaned you their car, you wouldn't run it into the ground without changing the oil, would you? You'd take care of it because it's not yours—it's been entrusted to you.

Your life is the same. It's not yours to burn out. It's God's to steward well.

This means:

• Rest isn't optional. It's obedience.

• Boundaries aren't weakness. They're wisdom.

• Taking care of your body isn't vanity. It's honoring what God gave you.

• Protecting your emotional and spiritual health isn't self-indulgent. It's necessary for sustainable fruitfulness.

You cannot pour from an empty cup.

And running yourself into the ground doesn't make you a martyr—it makes you unavailable for what God designed you for, and called you to do.

Practical Rhythms for the Dance

So, what does this actually look like in practice?

Daily rhythm: Start from being, not doing. Before you check your phone, before you dive into the list, spend time with God. Even 15 minutes. Let your day flow from presence, not pressure.

Weekly rhythm: Protect Sabbath. One full day where you cease from work. This isn't about legalism—it's about trust. It's declaring that the world doesn't fall apart when you rest.

Seasonal rhythm: Build in margin. Don't schedule yourself at 100% capacity. Leave space for the unexpected, for relationships, for rest. Margin is where life happens.

Decision-making rhythm: Ask the fruitfulness question. Before you say yes to something new, ask: Will this matter in the bigger picture? Or is this just busyness disguised as productivity?

Recalibration rhythm: Check your dashboard regularly. (Remember week three?) Don't wait until you're broken down. Pay attention to the signals and adjust before the crash.

Better yet – become part of a LeaderPrint Executive Community – where you will do life with others just like yourself. The community will help you anchor a rhythm for your leadership.

The Both/And Life

Here's the tension you have to hold: you need both doing and being.

Excellence matters. Results matter. God calls us to work with purpose and intentionality.

But presence matters more. Connection matters more. Who you're becoming in Christ matters more than what you're accomplishing for Him.

The dance between doing and being isn't about choosing one over the other. It's about letting being inform your doing. It's about working from a place of fullness instead of depletion. It's about producing fruit that lasts instead of just staying busy.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. Fully engaged, fully present, fully productive—and yet never rushed, never frantic, never depleted.

That's the life available to you. Not because you work harder. But because you learn to rest well.

Closing March: Living Kingdom Alignment in the Everyday

This month, we've tackled the "Yes, but HOW?" question.

How do you stay faithful when your calling doesn't match your calendar? You steward what's in front of you with excellence while trusting God with what's next.

How do you lead without being crushed by the weight? You release burdens you were never meant to carry and focus on what God actually called you to.

How do you avoid burnout? You learn to read your dashboard and respond to warning lights before the breakdown.

How do you stay productive without losing your soul? You dance between doing and being, letting your work flow from deep connection with God instead of frantic striving.

Living with Kingdom alignment in the everyday isn't about perfect balance. It's about rhythms, recalibration, and the daily choice to abide before you produce.

The doing matters. But the being matters more.

And when you get the being right, the doing becomes fruitful instead of just busy.

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Thank you for walking through March with LeaderPrint.

Stay tuned for the April series – Evaluation – A Framework for Leaders and Life