A Bucket List: A list of experiences or things one wants to accomplish in their lifetime.
There are many things I would like to do before I die.
Visiting the Trevi Fountain in Rome, jumping out of an airplane (with a parachute, of course), road tripping across the country, and starting a family (possibly as terrifying as skydiving) are just a few.
All of these are obtainable, but not something I will achieve overnight.
For instance, I will need to save money in order to visit Rome, find a stellar motion sickness medicine to jump out of a plane, make an intentional plan and budget before I roadtrip across the US, and actually go on more than one date with a guy in order to get married and start a family (that one was for you, mom).
Nonetheless, I am determined to accomplish all of these things before I die.
But then reality hits– how much time do I have left? No one is guaranteed tomorrow.
I don’t share this with you in order to strike the fear of death within your soul, in fact some of us look forward to that day when we meet Jesus face to face.
Whether you have fear or excitement towards death, the reality is that earthly death is coming for each and every one of us.
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.”
Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV)
“Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.”
Psalm 103:15-18 (MSG)
Bluntly said, one day we are here and the next we aren’t. Life goes on.
But friends, we have the opportunity to leave a legacy that leads to Christ before our time is up.
We have the choice of allowing death to be something we dread happening or something we prepare for.
I love what the Psalmist says in Psalm 90:
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
But, I love the way it is worded even more so in The Message Translation.
“Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!”
Psalm 90:12 (MSG)
“Teach us to live wisely and well”. I don’t know about you, but I desire to embody living wisely and well for the cause of Christ.
As followers of Christ, we should desire to live in the way in which we were commanded. But, I wonder how often we remind ourselves of those ways.
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,”answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 30:28-31 (NIV)
The greatest commandment we have been given is to love. This love is not something that we do from time to time, but this should be a love that should encompass every single thing that we do.
Another familiar command we have been given is found in Jesus’s last moments on earth.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
One of the biggest acts of love we can perform is making the name of Jesus known far and wide.
But, we can only make His name known to others for a short time– for time is fleeting.
So, you may ask yourselves, what does this have to do with a bucket list involving skydiving and road tripping?
Just like we have earthly desires to accomplish in our short time here, I believe we should have spiritual desires as well.
A faith-based bucket list, if you will.
This is something I have recently written out for myself based on the reflection of my life this far.
In a recent conversation, I expressed how self-reflection can be painful for me.
In the time I use to reflect on my actions and the time I’ve used, it's easy to see where I have lacked intentionality and maturity.
In my more recent reflection, I have found where I have misused time to make the name of Jesus known.
This can stem from fear of rejection or embarrassment from strangers who don’t care what I have to say, fear of saying the wrong thing– but it can also majorly stem from a selfish agenda.
Many times I waste the opportunity to reflect Jesus well because I get caught up in fleshly habits.
I wonder how many of you might relate.
So before you start a faith-based bucket list, I encourage you to take time to self reflect on how you spend your time, and how much of your time is spent evaluating how you can serve the Lord well.
Once you have one so, then you can reflect on the ways God has gifted you and inspired you to make His name known.
Each can look different– we are all gifted differently, have different wants, and different schedules.
But for me, this is how mine looks:
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1) Inductively study God’s Word:
By doing so I can first love the Lord well. In order to love someone deeply, you must know them deeply. By loving Christ well, I can then be observant to the love He desires for me to have towards others.
While loving the Lord, I can keep His commandments, and what better way to remind ourselves of those commandments than to read them often. Furthermore, by studying His word, I can confidently discuss His Word with others.
2) Lead at least 100 souls to salvation in Christ:
It is so important to remember that this is not an act you can achieve on your own, but only an act that can be performed by the Holy Spirit. But, the Holy Spirit can guide us to opportunities to build relationships with others, help us to reflect Christ well, and give us the words to discuss Jesus with others when they are ready and comfortable.
3) Effectively disciple women and young girls:
I desire for women across the world to feel supported and strengthened to serve Christ. Women are called to serve the Lord too.
4) Finish reading the Bible in its entirety:
Something I can find embarrassing to admit is that I have not yet read the Bible cover to cover. So, sooner rather than later, I would like to complete this task.
5) Foster constant forgiveness
Through self reflection, I have found that I can easily hold grudges or selfish motives against others. This is not what Christ has called any of us to, so I desire to foster a spirit of forgiveness in every relationship– good or bad.
6) Stop judging others
This will take time, and I am fully aware of that. Whereas I may not find myself looking at others with disgust, I can find myself judging others for not living the exact same way in which I have chosen to live. I often disguise this judgment as being a spirit of discernment, however this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
7) Memorize the book of Ephesians
Through my time in college, I interacted with those who were faithful to memorize Scripture. I think this is something important for believers. And before it is all said and done, I would love to be able to recite my favorite book of the Bible.
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There are many more things I would like to achieve in the name of Jesus, but this is just a starting point.
I fully believe that writing these things out brings us one step closer to accomplishing these ideas.
Just like a normal bucket list, we cannot obtain all these desires overnight, but they are things to prepare for and work towards.
So, friends, do you desire to live wisely and well?
Join me on this journey, even if it means self reflection leads you to another conclusion of how to be intentional with our gift of time.
Songs for reflection, prayer, & singing:
“Kingdom” - Maverick City Music
“Walk With Me” - Naffymar, Aude-Caria
“Hallelujah Here Below” - Elevation Worship
“Call Your Name” - Sharyn, WYLD
“Here as in Heaven” - Elevation Worship
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