I was on vacation many years ago and every morning before the family woke up I would go jogging on the beach in Boca Grande Florida. At the crack of dawn each day I encountered the same man who was jogging too, and soon we began running together. It turned out that this guy was incredibly wealthy and in fact a billionaire, and smart as a whip. He gave me some sage advice that has stuck with me over the years and I have benefitted greatly from it.
He told me to write down 100 things that I wanted to do before I die and then work hard towards achieving them. Back then I’d never heard of doing this; today it’s fairly common and referred to as a “bucket list”.
He told me not to list frivolous things, but significant ones. I told him no problem and that night I sat down and started working on it. I thought about it for several hours and could only think of 20. The next morning he laughed when I told him of my skimpy list and then he encouraged me to stick with it.
It’s harder than it sounds, take my word for it. As time progressed I eventually got it up to 100 and I’ve been working on it now for nearly three decades. I’ve made good progress and been able to accomplish dream after dream, but alas still have not accomplished some of them and probably never will. One was to pray with a man I deeply respect and admire, Billy Graham, but since he’s in poor health and 94 now, I’ll probably have to wait until I see him in heaven to accomplish that one. Another on my list was to meet with a sitting President in the oval office about some significant issue. I’ll skip working towards that one until a President is elected that I respect and admire.
I urge you to develop your own bucket list. Every year I begin working on next year’s goals in October. Starting early allows me time to work on it at a leisurely pace and think my goals through. I will have them reduced to writing by January 15th and then work the rest of the year towards accomplishing them.
When thinking about your bucket list listen to the excellent advice that the Apostle Paul gave to the folks of Philippi (who attended the first church he established in Macedonia). This Apostle to Jesus loved these people with all of his heart and I can feel his earnest love for them in this appeal to use the correct mindset in order to make the best decisions. Phil. 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
It is just as applicable to us today.
In Proverbs 14:12 it states: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Think about this too as you sit down to prepare your own bucket list. There is physical death and spiritual death. Jesus offers renewed spiritual life after physical death. This is most important is it not?
I saw where Apple Computer founder and billionaire Steve Jobs died overnight at the young age of 56. He recently spoke at Stanford University and said the following: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life,” he said. “Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”
Hmmm… Well said. The Bible instructs us to think of our own deaths often and when we do it should give us cause for serious reflection as to what is important in life and what is not. “All pride, fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important”.
His billions, will not be utilized now, and he won’t be listening to I-Tunes, or making anymore calls on his I-Phone, or reading about Obama’s class warfare pitch on his I-Pad. The most important thing for him this morning is his relationship with Jesus Christ. It is reputed that Steve Jobs embraced Buddhism and New Age philosophy. I pray that somehow he found Jesus before he died, because if he didn’t at this very moment he is totally separated from God.
Remember the brevity of this life and the infinite nature of the next in determining your most important choice (either accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as your Savior). Whatever decision that Steve Jobs made prior to his death regarding Jesus Christ was the most important choice that he ever made. It has been eternally settled for him now and there is no chance of changing it.
How about you? If this issue is not fully settled for you, then you know what to put first on your bucket list and it’s easy to accomplish that one.
Incidentally the last thing on my bucket list is jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute strapped to my back. It’s last for a reason….
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.