To Do V.S. Relationships

It has taken me a few decades to understand who I am and how I relate to others.  I am one of those guys who makes a list and then crosses off the things I have done.  If I do something not on the original list, I write it down so that I can cross it off.  If you are not on my list of things to do, I tend to see you more as a distraction.  Life is about getting stuff done and marking it off the list.

I love God so I have Him on the list most everyday.  I plan on times to pray, times to listen, times to read.  I give God a time slot to meet me in and He often does.  But He also does His own thing.  I am not sure God has a list, but I know He has plans.  His plans often interferes with mine.  Just this morning, as I am writing in the coffee shop God sent two people to encourage me.  This would be enjoyable if God had warned me so that I could have put it on my list.  Taking the time to be encouraged almost ruined my morning.

I know that many people will not understand this.  These "others" will not understand, but it may be like when the "to do" list keeps you from connecting with others, only in reverse.

So life has competing factors, people and activities.  How do we know what to focus on?  How do we get it right?  How do we do the will of the Father in Heaven?

Pro 3:4-7  So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.  (5)  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  (6)  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  (7)  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.  ESV

I love this passage because a personality type or style does not win.  The Lord wins.  Each of us, no matter what our personality type is, is called to trust in the Lord and not to live on our own understanding.  This understanding, knowledge, wisdom is our natural self and our spiritual self on auto-pilot.  Life is not about the list or the relationships, it is about the Master.  Sure God has relationships with "list making people" and "relationship" people.  But He call us all to abandon who He made us to be as a sacrifice of surrender.  We love Him more than self and in doing so desire to live for Him out of who we are.  He gets first place.  He has preference.  He gets to choose.

So how do we get it right in the details?  We simply rely on Him and acknowledge Him.  This "acknowledge" deals with "turning in the senses".  God made us to know Him and to know about Him.  All of creation declares His nature.  We can observe, see, hear, smell and feel the Lord in many ways.  What we turn on our senses to be aware of Him we can push both the "to do list" and the "relationships" behind Him.  In seeing Him we can see what we are to do or whom we are to relate to.