“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure. A craving for everything we see and pride in our achievements. But the world is fading away. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever”.

I John 2:16-17

To do or not to do. That’s a decision we make every minute of every day! And it can often be a grueling decision because we like to see results. We find satisfaction in what we do, and if you are like me, especially in marking off our to do lists. We tend to think that our productivity is based on the things that we see get accomplished.

Don’t get me wrong here… it’s not a bad thing to have a list of schedules or goals. In fact, I believe God is a God of order and expects us to think about these things. But as James reminds us, “we are nothing but a wisp of fog catching some brief sun before disappearing” (James 4:14). And honestly so are our tasks. So often our to do list is tightly packed with things that just vanish. Things that make us feel important. Things that satisfy our cravings. Things that we rationalize as good and productive. But when we get so focused on what it is that we want to do and what we want to see accomplished, we begin to lose sight of doing the things that last forever – like developing our relationship with the Lord and building others up. We also miss opportunities that are put in front us to be who God created us to be in the world.

And I will say, I have learned the hard way and unfortunately, am still learning — that the most productive and fulfilling work can’t be organized on a nice tidy list of “today’s to do’s”.

Seven years ago, we wouldn’t have been having this conversation. I thought I was living the best life ever. I had a well – paying job that I had been at for 27 years. I had a great husband (which I still do), and 2 dogs. And my addiction to gambling consumed me! My to do list was pretty tidy and my OCD made sure that everything got marked off of it every day! It was structured in a such a way that fulfilled me by keeping me busy! It fulfilled me by making me feel important. And it fulfilled me because I never had to think about my pain. And when God asked me to tear up my to do list and focus on His, I thought He was crazy!! I will say, it took him about a year and a half to convince me, but the day I quit rebelling and surrendered to Him, he started turning my pain into something beautiful – just as He had promised.

Now I can’t show you what that beautiful looks like! It’s not a tangible result. But I can tell you that beautiful is a peace that passes any understanding. It’s a trust that I know His faithfulness will sustain me. It’s the joy of His presence as my quite time with Him comes first every single day. It’s the fulfillment of spiritual growth and being available to serve Him by serving others when He puts them in front of me. And it’s the transformation from a list that pleases me to a list that pleases God with a satisfaction that nothing on my lists ever attained.

And I recognize that my story is different from yours and yours is different from someone else’s. But we all have lists that need to be refocused, and the first things on our list shouldn’t be about us. It should be about pleasing God and building His kingdom. And even though His list can look impossible, we know that anything is possible with God, and He is a God of surprises. When we have the faith to leave room in our schedule for Him to work and let Him be the keeper of the to do’s, He will surprise us with more beautiful results than we can imagine.

My challenge to you is to set aside your lists, even if it’s for just an hour, and allow God to work. See what beautiful and satisfying things He has in store for you.

12 words

Life is better when it’s not about you. Be productive for God.

 

“Lord God, we thank you for your promise to satisfy our every need. You are a God of steadfast love, healing hope, and jubilant joy! God, you tell us that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and I pray that you will bless me today as I seek you to fulfill my craving for achievement so that I can bless others with what I’ve learned. Help me to sit still and trust you so that my soul will always be filled with your beauty and satisfying love. I love you Lord and praise your name. Amen.”

Scripture Reflection:
I John 2:12-17
James 4:13-17
Psalm 131