God's to-do-list for us often looks much different than what we may think. Read on...
A to-do list in your mind, a to-do list in your phone’s notes, maybe there’s one in your email, or how about the tried and trusted pen and paper to-do list. Whatever your preference, we can’t deny the usefulness of the practice. Of course, the feeling we experience when we go: check, check, and add more checks. However, here’s another not-so-fun truth about the to-do list, they seem never-ending and sometimes downright daunting.
If, like me, you've been through a season of absolute overwhelm by endless to-do’s then you understand the miserable impact on attitude. I want to share what the Spirit of the Lord impressed upon me - attitude matters more than accomplishment. His to-do list is found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
In other words, if you accomplished all you needed to at work but were unkind to your co-workers, you missed God’s to-do list. If you checked off all the things you needed to accomplish at home, the laundry, cooking, cleaning, but were impatient with your family you missed God’s to-do list. If you did the favor for your neighbor but did so begrudgingly, then you missed God’s to-do list.
We live in a culture that glorifies human productivity that leads to personal satisfaction. Yet we struggle to submit to God’s process that leads to sanctification. I’m learning, God's to-do-list for us often looks much different than what we may think we need to accomplish in a 24-hour period. At the end of the day when you’re assessing all that has been done, as a Christian woman, do you ever reflect and ask, "Has my to-do-list been surrendered to God? Have I accomplished what the Father has asked of me?"
The next time you write out your list, let the Lord work the fruit of the Spirit in and through you. This leads to true accomplishment, regardless of the number of tasks at hand, you’ve surrendered and He is satisfied!
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