What’s On Your List?

Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people.

- Karen Salmansohn

I do not like New Year’s Resolutions.

As everyone knows, they rarely last through the month of January. However, Pam and I do sit down every January and write out our individual and couple goals for the year. They include exercise goals and goals for reading, as well as a list of vacations we would like to take that year and home improvement projects we would like to accomplish. Once completed, they are posted on our refrigerator for daily examination.

Following Pastor Jared’s teaching this past Sunday, I walked over to confirm what I already knew. Our goals were all about things “To Do,” but did not contain one item of goals “To Be.” Oh, there are good goals on our list, but they are all about what we want to accomplish (DO) and nothing about what we want to become (BE).  

Pastor Jared explained that in Genesis 1, the Creation account is all about what Adam needed to do: be fruitful and multiply, rule over the animals and tend to the plants. In Genesis 2, the focus changes. There, it is about Adam being a good husband, helper, lover and friend. Genesis 1 required personal effort. Genesis 2 required the work of God, His character manifested in Adam.

This challenged me. I have a “To Do” list, but what about a “To Be” list? As Jared explained, the former list changes each year, but the latter list lasts a lifetime.

As I reflected upon it, several came to mind. I desire to be:

1.     A person of integrity.

2.     A person after God’s own heart.

3.     A person who brings out the best in others.

4.     A person who is positive and encouraging.

I am not finished yet, both developing the list and allowing God to do the work in me for what I already have on the list, but one thing I do know is a promise the Apostle Paul gave us in Philippians 1:6:

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Like Jared, I, too, want to encourage you to sit down and create a “To Be” list.

The well-known Capital One commercial asks, “What’s in your wallet?” I think a better question is, “What’s on your list?”

Pastor Ken

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