The Bucket

The Bucket List

If you were to make a list of things you wanted to do before you died, what would it contain? I've given this some personal thought since seeing the movie "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freemen. It is about two men, a billionaire and working class mechanic that have nothing in common, except that each has a terminal illness. Knowing they are going to die, they each make a list of things they want to do before they kick the "bucket" and set out to do them all. On their list, they set out to travel the world, skydive, race cars, etc. The movie was very entertaining and made me think of what I would do with the rest of my life if I knew I had a terminal illness. Interestingly enough, we all know that we are going to die a physical death. Because we don't know when that is, however, living our lives as if we need a bucket list might not be a bad idea.

In Luke 12:16-21, Christ told his disciples a parable, "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, what shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, this is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry. But God said to Him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?

This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." This rich man's bucket list was to hold as much wealth as he could, then relax and take life easy. Sounds something like what we might hear on commercials that encourage us to put as much away in our 401(k) as possible, save anything else we have left over and then spend our time either on the beach or golf course sipping lemonade all day. Romans 12:2 commands us, "Do not be conformed to this world." Not being conformed to the world means that our list should be different then what the world would have us do.

The bucket list idea denotes the idea that life is a journey and the list is part of the journey that is uncompleted or unfulfilled. If our mind is focused on the world, then the bucket list is focused on. I want to skydive or I want to race cars or I want to store up wealth to take it easy before I die. If our mind is focused on a heavenly bucket list then we might think more about a journey that is filled with things we want to do for others and Walter B. Russell, in Revolution in Generosity, explains, "our journey on the road to generous giving 1. starts with faith in Christ, 2. is motivated by gratitude toward Christ, 3. is directed by biblical examples, 4. picks up speed as faith matures, and 5. encounters distractions or roadblocks that must be overcome." To fill my bucket list I must spend every day of my journey with Christ in His word and in prayer. As Russell states so well, "the road to generosity is a journey that few Christians successfully complete. Some never get started on the journey. Probably most Christians start on the road, then quickly pull off at a rest stop and just stay there, idling. A few take seriously their Christian faith and choose to travel faithfully, like Bunyan's 'Pilgrim,' and complete the journey. They arrive as mature believers and generous stewards."

Where are you on your journey? Have you made a bucket list? If you were to close your eyes in death today and awake before the Throne of Grace, would you feel satisfied that you lived this life to its fullest and done so for others and Christ?

Quote: "Even now I cannot understand the measure of a life, but I can tell you this. I know that when he died, his eyes were closed and his heart was open." Carter Chambers, The Bucket List -- Bernie Bostwick is Vice President of Ambassador Advisors

God's Word for YOU: Proverbs 29; Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2

Great Quote: If I am afraid to speak the truth lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand", or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love. -- Amy Carmichael

Special Announcements: Some of you tried to find Bob Kauffman's statement on the current financial crisis. Here is the link that you can use to check out the article: http://www.americaskeswick.org/documents/watchmanvol1no1.pdf

Have a loved one who is struggling with addiction? Need answers? Need help? Need hope? Then why not consider our FAMILY & FRIENDS DAY -- Saturday, October 11, 2008. THIS IS A MUST ATTEND seminar for those of you who have a loved one or friend who enslaved to addiction. Check out the link for details: http://www.americaskeswick.org/documents/FriendsandFamily.pdf