Bucket List

Perhaps you’ve heard the terminology, “bucket list.” The idea behind it is the list of things that you want to do before you kick the bucket, the assumption being all the things you could do on earth in your 70 to 100 year life. Let’s just say that you finally did everything on your bucket list, whatever that is to you. Are the things on your list in the Bible? Could it be that you decide instead fill that bucket with what God wants in the bucket? In a sense, if we just put temporal things in our bucket, is that not still really an empty bucket? What’s a better approach? How about Matthew 6:33? “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This passage with this verse included is speaking to this very subject. To put it in a different way, to fit this theme, Seek to fill your bucket first with those activities contributing to the kingdom of God, so that the things that you might want in this life would be added unto you. There are things that are not wrong for us to do; they’re permitted or lawful. You could put some things into the bucket that are permissible, but they are worthless. The goal in life is to honor God, bring the greatest value, that relates to God. Get that done first, and let the other things come to you organically. Don’t force them. Don’t chase down all the things of the world and lose out on the heavenly things. One part of this is the understanding that the kingdom of God is ten to fifteen times longer than this life. Another part is that God wants us to trust Him that He will satisfy us. Let’s right now as a church make sure that all the kingdom works that we know God wants, that those are in our lives. If the other things might come along with that, that’s fine, but they shouldn’t be the focus, what we seek first. The things of this world are not the prize. God is.