Living by the List

I’m abit of a to-do list freak, and often find myself living life by the ever increasing to-do list. The main reason for this is my inability to remember things, hence a to-do list helps me in this manner. If i’m honest, alot of the things on it never get done, and each week flies by with not alot getting ticked off and some more added onto the bottom.

Thats why I struggle with grace: theres nothing I can do that can attain my salvation, and that doesn’t quite fit in my to-do driven lifestyle. Surely God can’t simply forgive my past, some of the awful things i’ve done and continue to do, some of the despicable sins i’m too ashamed to share with anyone. Surely i’ve gotta do something to pay him back and earn his favour, serve him better, be more committed, do more stuff.

And thats the scandal of grace - theres nothing I can do, all my good works are as filthy rags in his sight.

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Phillip Yancey - Whats So Amazing About Grace

“Theres nothing you can do to make him love you more, and nothing you can do to make him love you less”

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These are the words I read after writing this post in Mike Yaconelli’s book Core Realities of Youth Ministry:

“Too many of us choose discipleship (doing) over friendship (being) and, as a result, lose ourselves in activity instead of intimacy”

Think I need to listen to this message, focus on being His, rather than getting so caught in the doing stuff.  Its out of the being that the doing will truly bear fruit