Jen’s Gem: Put God on your to-do list every day.
Last week, I took my final test in Bible College and have now completed my degree in Theology. I was like a kid on the last day of school that evening. The next day I struggled to get my work done as the tune “School’s Out for Summer” played in my head!
About this time last year, I published my book, “Finding God. Finding Me.” During the summer of 2020, my Elevate the Day podcast hit the airwaves. Four years ago, after being laid off for the second time in my life, I launched my freelance writing and marketing consulting business.
I don’t share these achievements to brag – I’m not good at that anyway. I tend to downplay my accomplishments. However, this week I realized that in addition to downplaying them, I am dismissing them as ‘no big deal.’ Whaaaat?? Crazy, right?
When I hear of other people doing big things, my eyes glaze over – like “WOW!” But for me, it’s just another day. Why is that? Why am I not celebrating my successes? Why are these important milestones being relegated to a “To-Do” list and being checked off alongside tasks like going to the grocery store?
As I was contemplating this anomaly this week, I thought about Jesus’ “to-do” list, especially during His last week of life. To many people back then, His death was just another day. A “felon” was being crucified on a cross. Ok – so that’s what they did in those days. No big deal. I’m sure many of them woke up the next day and didn’t give it a second thought.
However, three days later when those same people saw Jesus walking about the town, I suspect it was a different story. Can you imagine? I mean they saw Him die. They saw Him buried. Even His own disciples were like, “Whaaaat??” not believing it was really Him. Remember doubting Thomas who needed to touch the nail marks in Jesus’ hands to believe?
Seeing is believing. Prove it. Show me the money.
Fast forward 2000 plus years. We want to touch something or experience it before we commit, don’t we? We need references or 5-star online reviews before we’ll place our trust in a person, place, or thing. We need to cross-check our sources of information to be sure they are not fake news. We take nothing at face value anymore. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Because we’ve been let down, lied to, or hurt, our faith and trust muscles are weak. We hesitate to step out and consider something new or different because of the scars or pain we carry inside. While we may long for a better way, somehow the comfort and security of how we’ve always lived is more appealing.
The Bible tells us however that even if we have the faith of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible. That’s hard to believe isn’t it? Really? Do you know how small a mustard seed is? It’s realllly small.
“…if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NKJV)
I did not see Jesus die on the cross. I did not put my fingers in the nail marks of His hands or feet. I was not at the tomb on Easter Sunday like Mary Magdalene nor was I in town as He walked about after rising from the dead. Yet I believe all of these things and because of it, my life has changed dramatically.
Because of Jesus’s “to-do’s,” my to-do’s are possible. Because of what He accomplished, we can accomplish so much more. However, what He did in in that one Sunday morning, trumps any goal I could ever achieve.
I will work on getting better at celebrating my accomplishments. However, I think if I want to live the life God has planned for me, celebrating what Jesus did is something that needs to be on my “to-do” list every day.
I may never be great at celebrating my own achievements. Yet, I pray that I never miss a day of celebrating Jesus’s. I pray you don’t either.
What’s on your to-do list today?