What If God Wrote your Bucket List?

 

Introduction

The idea of a bucket list is closely related to the old phrase, “Kick the bucket” which means to die. In other words, the list is all of the things that you want to do before you die.

Most people have a bucket list; written or not, and a variety of things that they want to do, see, or accomplish before they die. Nowadays, though, people use that concept of a list before reaching a certain age; 30 things before I turn 30.

But, suppose God were to write your bucket list. What kind of things would be on that list compared to what you would put on your own? As the writer of Hebrews states, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

 

 

My Bucket List

In the interest of this article series, I wrote my own bucket list; choosing some things that I’ve already accomplished and some that I would like to, one day, achieve as well.

Any list should have a grouping of small goals that can be easy to achieve to give you that sense of accomplishment, while others may take a little more planning and, maybe, travel.

Here’s my list:

Chris Mentzer’s Bucket List

1.      See WrestleMania LIVE

2.      Get Married and have kids

3.      Own my own house

4.      Own my own car

5.      Visit the North Rim at the Grand Canyon

6.      Travel to Mexico; visit pyramids

7.      Visit Machu Picchu in Peru

8.      Write a Bestselling Novel

9.      Write a Screenplay

10.   Drive along Route 66

As is typical with a lot of lists, travel to exotic locations is part of the list. Okay, so maybe the Grand Canyon isn’t exotic, but I haven’t seen the North Rim in person. I did visit Mexico in 1985 as part of a class trip. As for Machu Picchu, I’ve only visited it via virtual travel. That may be the only way I’ll see it as well.

 

See the World without Leaving Your Home

Many people may never have the opportunity to visit a city in another country; in person. So, virtual travel may be the next best thing. In 2021, I spent most of the year visiting different cities in different countries all over the world; places I’ll probably never see in person due to expense or distance.

In that time, I’ve seen: an active volcano in Iceland, the equator in Ecuador, Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and experienced the White Nights in St. Petersburg, Russia; just to name a few.

So many incredible sights from God’s world and all at your fingertips via the internet. It’s amazing what one can do with the technology that’s available here in the 21^st century.

 

Is God’s List for you Similar?

The idea for this series of articles came from a sermon I preached in 2016. That idea came from a book of the same title; “What If God wrote your Bucket List?” However, in thumbing through the book, I noticed that their ideas of God writing a bucket list for you was similar in terms of worldly and/or materialistic things with a religious slant to them.

Visiting biblical cities and locations would be educational and fascinating but, I don’t’ think they would be things that God would want for you on a list to accomplish before you die.

His would be more of a spiritual nature and would look something more like this:

 

In the coming weeks, we’ll look at each of these items, individually, starting with number 10 and working down to number one.

 

Conclusion

While a bucket list is a great idea to have to see, do, and accomplish things in life; while you still can, make sure that you include God’s list as well. For those who have a desire to go to heaven, you’ll want to make sure that you complete God’s list long before you complete the other one.

As the apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:1-2, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.