I admit it—I’m a habitual list-maker. Rarely do I get everything crossed off my list. But as someone wrote, “The Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?”
The number one item on my to-do list is my personal time with God. But I’ve discovered that this time can become very routine: first, read a chapter of the Bible, and, second, run through my prayer request list. Done! Devotions checked off! I’ve made God happy, and now I can get on with the next item on my list!
But is that really what it takes to make God happy? Where does the Bible say, “If you want to please Me, you shall read one chapter of the Bible every day. Then you shall recite to Me the list of everything you want.” I don’t think that’s what God had in mind!
What, then, are God’s priorities? A man once asked Jesus that question, and He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’“ (Matthew 22:37-39).
If you’re a stay-at-home mom, your to-do list may include such unexciting jobs as doing the laundry and buying groceries. If you’re a career woman, your life isn’t necessarily filled with exciting duties either. Filling out reports can often be boring even if you work in a beautiful office.
Yet you can hallow all these jobs by loving God while you do them. As you go about your work, look for opportunities to show genuine love to those you meet: the clerk whose eyes reveal heartache, the delivery man whose gruff response reveals his frustration with life, or that obnoxious neighbor who probably just needs a friend.
Love God, and love others—it’s really pretty simple. Yet it’s what matters most to God. Think about that today as you go through your to-do list.
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