Perpetual List

Are you like me who likes creating lists and relying on a list to accomplish daily tasks?

Lists of any kind (notes, post-its, calendars, memos) can be helpful in our daily lives; to-do lists for home, to-do lists for work, grocery lists, travel lists, lists of birthdays, anniversaries, and so forth – these are all good lists. It is a wonderful tool that helps us to remember all important things that require our attention.  And don’t forget, the list of people who we pray for and lists of our own personal intentions that we bring to the Lord, most high – do you have a list?

God should not be just on the list. He should be in us and with us – the focal point of our existence – on our conscious level, in our words, and actions.  Our mere existence comes from Him. We are on His list of creations. But we can not put Him on a list of our to-do things. 

Every action, every thought, and every word that comes out from our being must bring honor and glory to His name.  Our character must be built based on our true foundation in Him. Every expression of love and reverence belongs to Him. Our list will not exist if He did not give us life as His expression of love for us.

When you pray, you do not need a list to present to Him for He knows our desires, struggles, and needs, even before we speak. You need to praise and glorify His existence in your daily life. To tender your thanksgiving for all He has given you – and yes, including those challenges and struggles, for those, are the precise motivation that brings you back to Him.  It is when you remember that there is a loving God who is consistently there in your life, who understands you and knows your pain.

God is never a part of any list. He is the breath of your life.

©fm1 8.12.22

“What is the focus of our life? What do we think about all the time? Are we preoccupied with goals and ambitions and the desires and appetites of this world? I am not asking whether we simply think about such things but rather what our minds are set on. What is our focus?”

R.C. Sproul. Romans – An Expositional Commentary