To-Do List

I’m a to-do list girl. I don’t operate at my peak performance without a to-do list. Part of it is the fact that I need a reminder of what all I need to get done. But admittedly, more of it is the pure joy and satisfaction that I feel when I get to cross something off of that list. Absolute bliss I tell you.

This applies both at work and at home. Every item on my to-do list is not an extensive task that requires the 17 years of education that I have. Some of them at home are things like: “do the laundry” or “go to the grocery store”. At work it might be: “set up a meeting with so-and-so” or “complete timesheet and expenses”. I have to include these mindless things with those that are “real” and require either a lot of thought and effort or a huge investment in time, just so that I can feel that I am accomplishing something during the day.

I remember attending a training that I attended a few years back about time management, and it mentioned that to-do lists are great for those people who actually use them effectively. For example, if you require yourself to do them in order, or always do the tough things first, they might not be as effective in helping you accomplish things. This is because you don’t always feel like you’re making progress, and generally the people who operate with a to-do list do so because of the sense of accomplishment that they feel when something is completed and they get to cross it off the list.

This makes sense to me. If something is a minor task that will take you only 2 minutes, go ahead and do it; regardless of where it is on the list or even if it’s not the most important task on the list. That way you can cross it off, get rid of it, feel accomplished, and move on. If you tackle the 2 day task first, then you may feel like you didn’t get as much accomplished in an 8 hour day because you didn’t get to cross anything off.

(Side note: I am that girl who will add something to the bottom of the to-do list that I have already done, just so I can cross it off!)

Anyway, where am I going with this…..oh yeah, did you realize that God has a to-do list for us to follow? Well, it’s kind of a “to-do” list and kind of a “not-to-do” list. But it’s a list nevertheless. Now I will caveat this by saying that this is not your typical list. This is not a list where we can cross things off and be done with them. This is a list that we need to start over with at the beginning of each and every day. After all, His mercies are new every morning, so why should the list of tasks from God go away?

Ephesians 4:25 – 5:4 has been reworded a little here, and I pulled some from the NIV version and some from The Message version, but overall, here is our “to-do” list from God:

· Speak truthfully (don’t lie)
· Don’t seek revenge
· Don’t go to bed angry (It’s ok to be angry, we just need to resolve it)
· Don’t steal
· Don’t use foul and dirty language
· Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger
· Be kind and compassionate
· Forgive each other
· Imitate God
· Don’t be sexually immoral
· Don’t be greedy
· Don’t use obscenities or coarse joking
· Love extravagantly

So does that “to-do” list seem doable? Do you see what I mean about how we can’t check things off and never deal with them again; rather, we must have this as our list EVERY SINGLE DAY? The good news is, it’s always right there for us in the Bible in case we forget.

This list is made up of things that we have the responsibility to consider as we make decisions moment to moment, opportunity to opportunity. Not just one time tasks.

A few years ago, I joined Weight Watchers to lose those pounds that had packed on over several years while enjoying the food and drink in Australia a little (or a lot!) too much. One of the most important lessons I learned was that every decision matters. Just because I ate a horrible breakfast didn’t mean that I should just write off the rest of the day or the entire weekend and say “I’ll start over again tomorrow or on Monday”. It meant that I needed to get my butt to yoga or for a jog around the park AND be very careful with what I ate for the next 24 hours.

I think this works the same way with God’s to-do list for us. Without a doubt, there are times when each one of us will fail to do something on this list or do something that we aren’t supposed to. When I harbor feelings of anger or resentment towards someone, that doesn’t mean that I should continue doing it just because I have been for weeks. It means that I should find a way to deal with it and move on. And when I get caught up in a topic of conversation that is not appropriate, it doesn’t mean that I have to stay in it. I can change the subject or walk away.

I think that God must appreciate when we, as His children, recognize when we are doing something wrong, and we make the conscious decision to change it. I can almost see Him looking down upon us with a smile and saying, “Finally. She gets it. I am so proud of her for making the effort.” He will love us with His perfect love regardless of whether or not we make mistakes, but He will just well up with pride when we are trying.

Likewise, when I am kind and compassionate to someone, I don’t just check that off the list and consider it done. I keep it on there as a “to-do” item so that I can be kind and compassionate to the next person too. And I am called to love extravagantly at all times! I love that – love extravagantly. Doesn’t that sound like it’s a privilege to be able to do that?

I may need a little time to be able to effectively use God’s to-do list. I think I have a long way to go before I can consider some of the things on this list temporarily complete. But I like having it there as a reminder of the things that I need to get done, along with my grocery shopping and laundry. I need to make these decisions on a regular basis. I’m a to-do list girl, and God’s to-do list will be with me every single day.