Business guru Jim Collins employs a technique I think is extremely useful for our spiritual life. Every year he creates a “Stop Doing” list. It all started when someone proposed the following to him: “Imagine someone gave you $20 million dollars, no strings attached, but later that day you found out you had an incurable disease and had only ten years to live; what would you stop doing?” I think it’s a valid question to ask in our daily lives, but has particular punch when viewed in light of our relationship with God. Think about it; you have been given all power in Heaven and were told to spend your life devoted to the mission of Christ. With that in mind, what should you stop doing?
Stop Wasting Your Life
What would it be like to live life fully expressing every passion and talent God has placed inside of you? Do you think you are living this way today? What’s keeping you from becoming the person He created you to be? We have a simple two-fold mission in life: to tell everyone about the amazing love of Jesus and to serve others in His name. It is for this we were created. Nothing else we endeavor to do will ever bring satisfaction. Do you want your life to matter? Serve God. Do you want to be happy? Serve God. Do you want to be loved? Serve God. Life is very simple but we’ve made it so complex.
To What End?
I’ve recently been pondering a simple three word question: “To what end?” We get wrapped up in many pursuits as we go through life and develop habits that we execute without a second thought. Everything we do is for some reason or some purpose. Life doesn’t happen in a vacuum. With so much going on, it can be easy to forget your purpose and your mission. Asking, “To what end?” helps us look at our actions in a new way. What will be the ultimate result of our activity? Will it bring glory to God? Is it something self-serving? If followed to its natural end, what impact will our actions have for the Kingdom of God?
Refocus and Rebalance
Do you ever feel lost, depressed, and unsure of your next move? In Western culture our lives have become insanely busy leaving little to no margin and literally no room for rest. When we aren’t busy we tend to make ourselves busy doing something. Often we become so stressed out that our couch becomes a welcome retreat. Mindless channel and web surfing consumes the few uncommitted moments of our days. In the midst of all this one has to wonder where the victorious life is that was promised by Jesus. Where is the peace, the joy, the rest, and the comfort?
Risk and Faith
I have often said that following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Generally I’ve spoken about this in terms of the gritty, sometimes dangerous, consequences of being a follower of Jesus. In numerous countries around the world, following Jesus could easily cost you your life. Even in the West, declaring you are a disciple will often be met with sneers and derision. But there is another way that dedicating oneself to Jesus is not for the timid. He will often lead you to places that are far outside your comfort zone. To follow Jesus with all your heart will require great faith and will surely involve great risk.