To Do-ers List: Trust God

Day 7

To Do-ers List: Trust God

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5

Whom do you trust?

When I was little, my sister, Carol and I used to play a game called Trust. To play Trust, two people stand one behind the other, both facing the same direction. The person behind (the catcher), puts out her arms and says fall. The person in front (the faller) closes her eyes, stiffens her body and falls straight back into the arms of the catcher. The catcher of course catches the faller, thus building a relationship of trust. Fall and catch again. Perhaps, you are wondering why we bothered to play such a predictable tedious game.

It gets better.

After completing round one, the catcher takes a step back and the process repeats.

After a while the game gets a little dicey … will she catch me?

The stakes get higher … will I hit the floor?

At some point in time a smart faller calls it quits. After all, you are only as safe as the one who is catching you.

(Uhh … one time I did drop my sister. It wasn’t my fault … my mother called me.)

In the game of life, God calls us to trust Him.

He is standing right behind us saying fall.

You lose your job … God says fall.

You receive news from the doctor … God says fall.

Your husband is transferred … fall.

Your marriage becomes stormy … fall.

Your child drops out of college … fall.

Trust God and fall into His everlasting arms.

Tweet This

God is omnipresent. Because He is everywhere, at every time, all at once, He is always able catch you. It may seem He is stepping back, but He is never any closer to you at one moment than any other. Fall into His will concerning your new job, your move, your transfer, your sickness, your debt, your marriage, your singleness. You are as safe as the One who is catching you. Trust God.

Trust God with all your heart.

Read today’s verse again … with all your heart. Not part, but all. How well would you function with part of your heart, say only the right ventricle? Yet so many people try to. I know I have. I can trust God with my job, but my children?

Trusting God with part of your heart will leave you with a heart condition. Not healthy. You may sustain life, but you will never be able to run, soar, and live the abundant life with part of your heart. You will limp along in the shadows, living a half-hearted life. Trust God with all of it. He wants it all, every corner of your heart: relationships, career, school, friends, children, family, love, hate, hurt, blessing. He says fall and you let go. He’ll ask you to trust Him with more of your heart, bit by bit, until you finally trust God with all of your heart. Trust God.

A little warning.

Trusting God will not always make sense. Some people will think you’re crazy. Others will TELL you you’re crazy. You may lose friends over it. I have experienced all three. Trust God anyway. My greatest victories have come when I have listened to God and trusted Him, despite the voices of others.

Remember, God will never call you to do any thing which contradicts His Word.

For Today:

Take a moment and pray. Ask God to show you what areas or situations of your life you need to entrust to Him. Don’t hold back. If He wants you to speak, do it with all your heart. If He wants you to pray, do it with all your heart. If He wants you to reach out in a new way, trust God and do it with all your heart.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

Note: the To Do-ers List Study Guide will greatly enhance your time with God.

To Do-ers List Journal Study Guide PDF
Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to trust God, please check the resources below.

How Trusting God Can Transform Your Life by Joyce Meyer

Please take a moment to pray and ask God for His strength to do good to everyone you meet today (and the people you live with). Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below. Have a blessed day!

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

To Do-ers List: Day 4: Walk by Faith

To Do-ers List: Day 5: Word in Me

To Do-ers List: Day 6: Always Do Good

by Mary Kane

To Do-ers List: Always do Good

Day 6

To Do-ers List: Always do Good

15 “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15

There was a saying when I was growing up, “It’s payback time.” Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. If someone did something to you, you did it back to them and then some. It was the law of the street. One of the problems with paybacks, however, is they never end. The cycle of hatred churns and escalates.

Hatfield and McCoys.

Cain and Able.

Notre Dame and Michigan.

Do we even remember what we are fighting about?

God has a different idea.

Do good. Always do good. Instead of payback, pay-it-forward. Good for evil. Blessings replace cursing. Help instead of hate. Always do good.

Why?

Because that’s what God does; it’s who He is. It’s what He did for us. While we were yet sinners, Jesus died on the cross for us. We were enemies of God by our wicked works and He died for us. What if He had waited for us to do something GOOD until He did something good? He’d still be waiting while we spent eternity in hell.

What is good?

In the Greek, good translates as agathos, which means good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, honorable, upright, excellent. Part of the word means sacrifice. To always do good, we must

sacrifice our right to be angry, our right to be hurt, and our right to be bitter.

Tweet This

It’s part of the abundant life.

This one is hard for me. Really hard. I learned and lived by the law of the street. I can payback like the rest of ’em. It’s a wonderful witness when you convey a rude gesture and have a fish sticker on the back of your mini-van. I still struggle with it today. Why? Pride. I’m better. I act better. I think better. How dare you do that to ME. It’s ugly and sinful. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, I’m making progress.

Long time ago I came across the following maxim:

Satan repays good with evil;

Man repays evil with evil and good with good;

God repays evil with good.

Always do good.

It’s a choice we make … to love instead of hate, to bless instead of curse, to always do good. We were created in the image of God. Like Father, like daughter. He is good; therefore, we must always do good.

For Today:

Today will be tough. Look for ways to do good to those who aren’t good to you. Doing good to another can be a kind deed, graceful words, or prayerful thoughts. Look to do good to everyone, regardless of how they treat you. Do we always do good because others deserve it? No, we always do good because it’s the right thing to do.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

To Do-ers List Journal Study Guide PDF
Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to always do good, please check the resources below.

Overcoming Evil with Good

If you missed a few days, you can catch up by clicking the links below.

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

To Do-ers List: Day 4: Walk by Faith

To Do-ers List: Day 5: Word in Me

by Mary Kane

To Do-ers List: Word in Me

Day 5

To Do-ers List: Word in Me

16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Colossians 3:16

I love to eat. I am an organic, farm-to-fork foodie kind of girl. Three meals a day, with snacks in between and don’t forget about dessert! Our sense of taste is a gift from God, given to us for our enjoyment. Sweet, sour, bitter, and salty flavorings spice up the eating experiences. Eating is necessary to maintain life, but there is something more important to life than consuming food; consuming the Word of God.

I need His Word in me.

Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Every Word. I need every Word for life.

The more Word I have, the more life I have.

Tweet This

How much life do I have? Just John 3:16? Just enough to keep my heart beating, but not enough to sustain life beyond birth? I don’t want to settle for just life, I want abundant life. Abundant life requires the Word in me.

Today’s verse instructs us to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. The Greek word for richly is plousis, which means abundantly, wealthy, plentiful, and full. When we are filled to overflowing with God’s Word, it will splash on those around us, soaking them with God’s Holy Word. Dry and thirsty souls doused in Living Water. God’s Word in me benefits everyone.

Benefits of God’s Word in Me

What does scripture do for us? Read the partial list of benefits below. God’s Word …

Defeats our enemies. Ephesians 6:17
Transforms us into the image of Christ. Romans 12:2
Makes us strong. Joel 2:11
Heals us. Psalm 107:20
Imparts peace. Psalm 119:165
Guides us. Psalm 119:105
Makes us wise. Psalm 19:7

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly …

It is important to note the word dwell. God’s Word needs to dwell in us, not touch upon, visit, or set up temporary residence. The word for dwell refers to a marriage relationship. A life-long, do or die, for better for worse, for richer or richer, till death do we join Him for all eternity. I need God’s Word in me everyday and beyond.

How can I get God’s Word in me?

Here are a few ideas.

Write verses on note cards and carry them with you everywhere you go today. Look at them at stoplights (instead of checking your phone), waiting in lines, while you’re doing chores, etc.
Subscribe and download a podcast to your device and listen while you’re jogging, doing chores, or walking to class today.
Download an audible version of the Bible to your favorite device. Listen tonight while going to sleep.
Set a goal to memorize a BOOK, yes, a BOOK of the Bible.
Tune in to hear your favorite speakers on Christian TV.
Turn off your TV today and spend a little extra time reading your Bible or doing a Bible study.
Look up your favorite verse at Blue Letter Bible and research key words in the original Greek or Hebrew. Follow the link for a quick tutorial: Blue Letter Bible

For Today:

Make your plan for how you will add more of God’s Word to your day. Make your verse cards, download a podcast, or get a new Bible study. Block out your time and do it! Ask God to bless you for the time you will spend in His Word. Pray and ask Him to open your heart to the wisdom hidden within His Word.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Extra Resources:

Joyce Meyer Podcasts
Francis Chan Sermons

If you missed a session, catch up here!

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

To Do-ers List: Day 4: Walk by Faith

Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below!

God’s Word in me. God’s Word in you. Let it dwell in us richly.

To Do-ers List: Walk by Faith

Day 4

To Do-ers List: Walk by Faith

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

2 Corinthians 5: 7-9

It was a harrowing time when my sons were learning to walk. My oldest was determined from the beginning to stand on his own two chunky feet. Staggering from chair to couch to table, he’d continue to lurch and reel until he’d tumble to the ground. Bruised-yes. Vanquished-no. The process continued, day after day, bump after bump, until one day, at the age of nine months Erik could walk.

Learning to walk by faith is also a process.

We stumble.

We stagger.

We fall. Bumped, bruised, and hurt-yes. Vanquished-no. We are not beaten because we fall; we are only beaten if we refuse to rise. We get up and try again. We learn to walk by faith.

What does a walk of faith look like?

A walk of faith looks like a series of good decisions based on the truth of God’s Word.

A friend invites you to a party. You know your parents would not approve. You also know they will never find out. You say no. You walk by faith. “Children, honor your parents.”
Your co-workers are chewing up a colleague no one likes (for good reason) at the lunch table. You change the subject. You walk by faith. “Let no unwholesome talk proceed out of your mouth.”
Your husband has asked you to make a pie for tomorrow’s work picnic after he has just delivered a five-point lecture on how to park the car. The nerve of him. You make the pie. You walk by faith. “Repay evil with good.”
Your sister/spouse/boss/mother-in-law snaps at you during a conversation. You choose (it takes all your strength) to answer with respect. You walk by faith. “Repay no one evil for evil.”
You KNOW God has called you to serve in the new ministry at church. It doesn’t make sense – everyone says so. Some say you aren’t qualified, skilled, or educated enough to do it. God calls you anyway. You say yes. You walk by faith. “Be on your guard before Him and obey His voice.”

Walking by faith is obeying God when it’s easier not to.

Tweet This

Walking by faith is usually scary, uncomfortable, and involves stepping out of the usual. But I have to tell you, I have never regretted a single step of faith. How do we avoid walking by sight? By keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

What is the outcome of walking by faith?

Our faith grows.

The faith of others grows.

Our lives produce fruit.

We are entrusted with greater work.

The greatest benefit of walking by faith is listed in verse 9 … we please our Father.

For Today:

Make decisions based on faith; not fear, not feelings, not the usual. When faced with a decision today ask yourself, What would a faithful person do? And do it.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

To Do-ers List Journal Page PDF
Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to walk by faith, please check the resources below.

How Strong is Your Faith?
Keeping Faith Strong Through the Summer

Please take a moment to pray and ask God for His strength to walk by faith. Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below. Have a blessed day!

Missed a day? Don’t worry. Just click on the links below!

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

by Mary Kane

To Do-ers List: Pray ’bout Everything

Day 3

To Do-ers List: Pray ’bout Everything

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:6-8

Be anxious for nothing.

In today’s verse, God tells us to be anxious about NOTHING. Speeding tickets … tests … denting the car (I did that this week, ugh!) … broken relationships … money … college … kids … etc.

NOTHING.

How are we to be anxious about nothing? Instead of worrying, God gives us something else to do. Pray. Pray ’bout everything. Big things, little things, hurtful things, fun things, special things, ordinary things … everything. The Greek word for everything used in today’s verse is the little tiny word pas, which simply means every thing. As my favorite Bible teacher says, If God tells us to pray ’bout everything, it’s because everything can be affected by prayer.

When you pray, tell God everything on your heart. Pour out your feelings. Finally, (gulp, big leap of faith) ask Him to answer your prayer according to His will.

What happens after we pray?

And the peace of Christ will guard your hearts and minds …

I have dealt with stress in my life; I know this one. Anxiety has left its mark upon my soul. But, God promises to guard our hearts and minds if we offer Him our prayers and supplications (confiding in God about personal needs) with thanksgiving. In general, when do we offer thanks for something? When someone has completed a service for us. God knows our prayers before we offer them. He is already acting before we say Amen. That is why we can thank Him.

When I have finished praying, I can’t say I have always felt peaceful. But, this is where faith comes in. Remember,

this life we live as Christians is a walk of faith, not feelings.

Tweet This

If something is true, it is true regardless of how we feel. Truth is not based on feelings. If God says He is guarding our hearts and minds, we can believe it, despite our feelings.

After we pray ’bout everything and thank God for acting according to His will, we have one more job to do: we meditate. Meditate on what?

Good things.

True things.

Lovely things.

Beautiful things.

Praiseworthy things.

Why?

Because prayer is a battle of the mind.

Satan will try to knock us off track. The world will entice us to worry. Our mind will try to lead us back to our familiar comfortable habit of worry. We must control our thoughts and focus our mind. What we think about is our choice. Stop the worry cycle. Turn your worries into prayers.

Worry-prayer-thanksgiving-true thoughts.

Prayer-thanksgiving-true thoughts. Leave the worry out.

Pray ’bout everything.

For Today:

As you go about your day, pray ’bout everything. Laundry, dishes, driving, washing your hair, mowing the lawn, exercising, texts, phone calls, chores, friends, enemies. Cover it all in prayer. Pray ’bout everything.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Prayer Resources:

The Prayer Notebook App I love using this app! You’ll never forget a prayer request again. The Prayer Notebook even comes with an alarm for specific requests.
How To Pray Read this post for suggestions on how to enhance your prayer life.
Prayer Strategy: When You Don’t Know What To Pray This post outlines a strategy for praying through life’s difficult and tragic situations.

Start the day off on the right foot. Pray now for God to show you things to pray for and to remind you to pray throughout the day (or set the timer on your prayer app). Don’t forget to leave your comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Have a prayerful day.

In case you missed the first two days, click on the links below.

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

Mary Kane

To Do-ers List: Love Others

Day 2

To Do-ers List: Love Others

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Since we started our series with God’s Greatest Commandment: Love God, it is fitting that we move on to His second greatest commandment: to love others as we love ourselves. Ouch! That is a tall order. In my opinion, it is easier to love God than to love other people. Other people can be annoying. They can let us down. And quite often they don’t love us back. How can we love somebody who does not love us? How can we love others?

Fortunately, loving others is a choice we make, which does not depend on their attitude towards us.

Loving is a choice, not a feeling.

Tweet This

Identifying others.

Today’s verse uses the word neighbors. Love my neighbors … I don’t even know some of my neighbors. In the Greek, others/neighbors transliterates as plesion, which means “neighbor, friend, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth; according to Christ, any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet.” Did you notice the spatial/geographical progression of the definition? Neighbor … friends … Americans … any person in the world. So others refers to everybody in the whole world. Wow! While it is impossible for me to tangibly love everyone, I can love others whom I chance to meet.

Loving others as you love yourself.

How do I love me, let me count the ways. Start by thinking about how you treat yourself. You take the best piece of cake for yourself (the one with the frosting flower). You sit in the chair, which affords the best view of the TV screen. You order first (always) at Panera. You ride in the front seat of the car. When with your friends, everyone eats at your favorite restaurant and shops at your preferred stores. Loving others calls for a 180 attitude adjustment.

Do you want others to pray for you? Pray for them. Do you desire mercy? Show mercy. Do you like encouragement? Encourage others. Do you want others to love you? Love others.

Love others as you love yourself.

For Today:

Before you start your planning for today, take a moment to pray for God’s guidance and power as you seek to love others. Today, as situations arise which involve others, think of how you’d wish to be treated and treat them accordingly. Be especially aware of people who:

cut you off in traffic (you and I have NEVER done this).
are slow in the checkout lane.
bring you food you did not order (or forgot to leave off the onions-again).
are late for an appointment, meeting, or dinner.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF The study guide is very essential to your learning!
Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to love others, please check the resources below.

Love Like Jesus
Love By Faith

Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below. Have a blessed day. Remember to love others!

In case you missed day 1, click on the link below:

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

By Mary Kane