I love lists. And the reason I love them so much is because I’m a very organized person. Nothing makes me quite as happy as seeing a list with all of the boxes checked—meaning the list is complete.
So I must be honest and tell you that when I see a list in the Bible, there’s a part of me that shouts for joy. Take the Ten Commandments, for example. I read through it and I think, Do not covet your neighbor’s possessions? Check!
This act of checking the box makes me feel good—for a while. Then one day, I visit a friend’s house and see her newly remodeled kitchen. Oh, wow, I think, I need to do this in our place! And all of a sudden, that box that was so neatly checked “Do not covet” is empty again.
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? But this battle with discontentment doesn’t have to frustrate us. That’s because in Jesus Christ we have everything we need in terms of righteousness, holiness, and power to let Him live through us.
Instead of checking boxes in order to please God, live with thankfulness and praise for what you already have. Wake up every morning with gratitude that in Christ, your boxes have already been checked. And let that thankfulness be the fuel that powers real and lasting life transformation!