Tuesday, June 20, 2017

To Do

Submitted by Lara Cook
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  2 Corinthians 7:10

I have never been very good at making lists until recently when from the car to the door of the grocery store I literally forget what I am supposed to be buying.  If I don’t write it down, chances are I won’t walk out the door with it.  Lists are a great tool and many productive and successful people swear by them.  Lists can help us keep track of what we need to do and check it off when we have accomplished these tasks.  Lists can help us put things into perspective when we are overwhelmed.  Recently I was reading a book and the author suggested a “Stop Doing List”, a genius idea that I need to embrace as much as a “To Do List”.  
Not to Do –
I do have a list constantly going in my head of all the things I need to do to better myself.  Paul Sohn, author of Quarter Life Calling, says “We should practice the art of creating a stop-doing list.  A stop-doing list encourages you to identify habits, behaviors, and thoughts that kill your dreams.  Create a list of ten things you should stop doing.”   My list would have a lot more than ten things on it but I think the idea is to start with an obtainable goal in mind.  When I read this, I immediately thought of the relativity to our relationship with God.  We all have sins in our lives that we struggle with and continually beat ourselves up over, which is exactly what Satan wants.  He wants us to believe we are damaged goods and would never be worthy of God’s grace.  He also wants us to feel like a failure over and over again, defeated and beat down.  But that is not how our God is.  He has mercy and grace for all our failures and He loves us relentlessly. 
I plan on making my Stop Doing list and placing it somewhere I can be reminded daily.  There is power and accountability in putting words on paper and even more power in speaking them.  If you have a friend you feel comfortable with, share your Stop Doing list with them and ask to be held accountable.  I will fail, but I will never give up trying.  It is a process and as long as I am human, I will never fully arrive but I know Someone who will carry me the rest of the way.

Scripture to Claim:

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

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