What "To Do"?

Since retiring four months ago, I've found the best way to be productive is to give myself a "to do" list.  For the first few weeks I kept it simple.  My goal was to be awake and showered by noon.  In time, there was a need to accomplish a bit more, and occasionally I would even make up a list the night before to give myself extra incentive to get out of bed.  Mostly, however, I'm enjoying the fact I don't have to do a thing, if I don't want to.  I can be as busy or idle as I want to be, but mostly I find myself busier than when I was working full time.  But a different kind of busy.  There are so many things I'd like to do in this second calling phase of life.  Often much time is wasted as I ponder which of the possibilities I might tackle for any given day.

And so it was I started this week with an official "to do" list.  After the first day, I had succeeded in crossing off half of the items.  [There is something so gratifying about doing so. . .and one line drawn through is never enough.  I really want to reinforce the fact it is done, so several lines are required to solidify the fact the item has really been completed!]  With the second day, I was able to cross off the rest of the items.  At one point, I realized I had completed a task not on the list, and decided to add it to the list, just so I could cross it off!

Today I was thinking. . .if we let God write our "to do" list for the day, would there be a difference in what we would accomplish?  Would His priorities for the day be different than ours?  Lately, God has been reminding me repeatedly of a three part "to do" list give in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

"BE JOYFUL ALWAYS.  PRAY CONTINUALLY.  GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR THIS IS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS?"

How did I do today?  It's a challenging list, and most days I can't truthfully cross off all three items.  We are also admonished to take all Scripture in context.  If we look at the verses immediately before and after these three, we find more to add to the "to do" list:

RESPECT THOSE WHO WORK HARD AMONG YOU
LIVE IN PEACE
WARN THOSE WHO ARE IDLE
ENCOURAGE THE TIMID
HELP THE WEAK
BE PATIENT WITH EVERYONE.
MAKE SURE NOBODY PAYS BACK WRONG FOR WRONG
BE KIND TO EACH OTHER
TEST EVERYTHING
HOLD ON TO THE GOOD
AVOID EVERY KIND OF EVIL

Ever think about what the world would be like if we ALL made a habit of using this list on a daily
basis?  I keep trying, and hope you will join me!