The Bucket List

I wonder whether, at the end of my life, I would feel content with all I had achieved.

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Reference:  v.29a  What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short.  (TNIV Bible)

Explore:  A little while ago I saw the movie The Bucket List .  It tells of a man who, after finding out he has a terminal illness, writes a list of all the things he would like to do before he dies (or before he ‘kicks the bucket’).  The things on the list range from great adventures to sincere reconciliation.  And so he goes about fulfilling the list, knowing that he only has a short period of time to complete his life’s activities.  As a young person in her thirties, it is hard for me to imagine what it would be like to face death.  I wonder whether, at the end of my life, I would feel content with all I had achieved.  And yet, we never really know when we are going to ‘kick the bucket’.  All we know is that we definitely will.  And so maybe we should all have a Bucket List.  No matter what age we are or how our physical state stands, maybe we should all be living as if we only have a short time to live.  How would our lives differ if that were the case?

Application:  When the Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthians he felt that there was only a short time left before Jesus would come for the second time.  And so he lives his life, and instructs others to do the same, as if there is only short period of time for him to live out Christ’s mission.  And if you look at Paul’s life, his three missionary journeys and his constant proclamation of Christ, he certainly makes the most of the time he had.  He did not see Christ’s return in his lifetime but he certainly felt that he had run the race to the end and was content will all he had strived to accomplish.  We cannot predict the future but we can determine our actions for today.  We have the choice to put off certain things until tomorrow or we can live our lives like there will be no tomorrow.

Prayer:  Lord, give us the courage to fill our lives today with all the things that will make us content tomorrow.  Amen.

How would your life changed if you lived as  if you only had a short time left?

1 Corinthians