To-Do List

What’s on your schedule? Do you have a calendar on the wall with a To-Do list or maybe it’s all in your smart phone or on your I-pad? Or you could be old fashioned like me and just have a list on a sheet of paper on the kitchen counter. Whatever it is, does it give you a sense of accomplishment to check things off when they are done?

I was reading about the Apostle Paul. He had a checklist.

“I don’t know what will happen to me in Jerusalem, but I must obey God’s Spirit and go there. 23 In every city I visit, I am told by the Holy Spirit that I will be put in jail and will be in trouble in Jerusalem. 24 But I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do. And that work is to tell the good news about God’s great kindness.” Acts 20:22-24 CEV

Paul had been out preaching all over Asia. He was preaching to Jews and non Jews alike. Telling everyone, everywhere he went about Jesus. That was all he had on his list.

One thing!

“I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. ¹⁴ I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.” Philippians 3:12-14 ERV

One very important thing. Now I’m sure he had other things to do each day. After all, he would go into new towns and needed to find a place to stay, food to eat. He would have people to look for, etc. but the one thing at the top of his list was to tell folks about God’s great kindness and the good news of Jesus.

He definitely knew how to prioritize. We do know that Paul wasn’t one to sit idle when he went to a new town. He would work and work hard. By trade, he was a tent maker. Now I’m not sure how difficult tent making was but I had an idea.

Dave used to make saddles and do leather work for a living. He had the advantage of modern equipment but there were a several times when he built a saddle completely by hand. No machine stitching, no pre-cut pieces. It was a labor of love and very time consuming. So it must have been for Paul.

I can see Paul sitting there will all of the pieces of a tent laid out before him, awl, needle, sinew in hand and with each stitch I imagine him telling people about Jesus. His one thing was to keep moving forward in telling the world about the amazing grace and saving power of Jesus.

Mary and Martha were two sisters who regularly had Jesus come to dinner in their home. Their brother Lazarus and Jesus were good friends. One day Jesus was in their living room teaching and Martha was in the kitchen preparing for the meal. She looked around for her sister and Mary was no where to be found. When Martha did find Mary she was sitting, listening to Jesus teach. Martha complained to the Lord.

“The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

⁴¹ The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, ⁴² but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-32 CEV

This morning I woke up tired. I didn’t sleep well last night and as I came to my chair my mind began racing with all the things I need to get done before 11 am. I was going over my list and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart – “choose the ONE THING, choose what’s best”.

I will focus my thoughts on Jesus; I will center on His word and I will walk in His strength today.