Thursday Meditation - A Checklist Lifestyle

A Checklist Lifestyle
Luke 19:16-22

In life we've created a list for everything. We have a to do list, a bucket list, a wedding list, a list of traits and characteristics for our future spouse, a list of A or B schools and so forth to keep track of what we've accomplished in life.  These checklists can be soooo legalistic that if  we do not accomplish what is set out on the list many of us are devastated.  Often times my friends joke about my educational accomplishments and wanted to know if I was working on an educational checklist.  To be honest I had no intention obtaining the number of degrees I have because the school I wanted to go to didn't accept me.  At that point in life I dropped my checklist and recognized the value of education.

While preparing this meditation, I had to re-read the parable of the young rich ruler.  In the re-reading I recognized he was living a checklist lifestyle.  He told Jesus about all the laws he kept since his youth.  I wonder if he had a scroll to show Jesus what he had done over the years and what he did daily.  This young man was like most of us excited and joyful about his accomplishments.  Then the unthinkable happened, Jesus challenged his checklist life and asked him to give up all he had, what he has done and follow him. He was heartbroken.  Like this young man, we want to keep holding on to our checklist lifestyle so we can say look at what I've accomplished in life. He worked hard to follow the rules and wanted Jesus to be proud of him.

However, there are times in life when our checklist gets pushed to the side in order for the Holy Spirit to guide us and for us to do what God has called us to do.  We need to move away from checking off a list and running through life as a big to do list.  Life is more than a list of accomplishments.  Yes it is wonderful to have our names among the Who's Who's in life but wouldn't it be better to be unique instead of routine. Many of us want the routine things of life power, prestige and position at any cost.  This young ruler couldn't trade his routine life for one that was not on his checklist.  Let us be careful not to follow in this young man's footsteps.  He grieved because he was asked to give up all he had accomplished.  What have you accomplished in life to cause you to walk away from Jesus instead of following Him?

Prayer: God help us to move away from this checklist life and embrace the things we haven't imagined because it wasn't on our list of accomplishments.  Amen.