Lists
January 18-19
Have you made a list today? Lists instruct us, keep us organized, help us communicate needs to others, can be satisfying to check off, or can be so overwhelming they cause us to punt a project.
What lists have you made the past few months? Mine amazed me.
Grocery, Christmas lists (multiple types from meals, gifts, decoration needs, etc), wedding lists (too many to list), baby shower guest list, traveling directions with a list of stops along the way, packing, scripture memory, prayer, writing ideas, computer direction list, recipe, luncheon guest list, house chores, yard chores, light bulb list, and of course this list of lists!
The Bible has many lists.
The Ten Commandments
Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23),
Gifts of the Spirit in various places,
Qualities of a Maturing Christian
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.(2 Peter 1:5-8)
In Chuck Swindoll's book The Finishing Touch he has some good insight into lists.
"Early church Fathers, the Reformers, the Puritans-have been inspired by these lists to reduce spirituality to two lists known as 'the seven sins and the seven virtues' of saintliness.
The former includes-pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust.
The latter: wisdom, justice, courage, temperance, faith, love, hope.
Even though it finds its origin in one whose life was not centered on Christ our Lord, Mahatma Gandie's own list of 'seven deadly sins' in the form of contrasts deserve our attention:
Wealth without work
Pleasure without a conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Worship without sacrifice
Politics without principle"
Micah 6:8 has a simple list, which in itself is still difficult for us to adhere.
To do justice.
To love kindness.
To walk humbly with God.
PT Father, we can't even imagine Your "To Do" list. Your Word speaks of the Lamb's Book of Life, which contains a very important list of names Revelation 13:8 Today may our focus be one of praise and thanksgiving for the lengthy list of benefits because we are Your children. Help us to evaluate our earthly list and check to see that the focus of the items thereon bring You glory. In Your Son's Name, Amen
