Build a Better Bucket List

The bucket list trend has really taken off. If you google “bucket lists” you will literally find millions of ideas to put on your list, from adrenaline highs like storm chasing and bull riding to exotic travel such as an African safari and scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef to zen experiences like taking up yoga and doing a weekend silence retreat.

People are obsessed with this idea of wanting to accomplish a myriad of tasks to bring fun and fulfillment to their lives before they leave this earth. But can this checking off of a very glorified to-do list lead to the life they are looking for? Is their list missing what will bring a deeper significance, a filling of one’s soul, that cannot be found on a typical bucket list?

How then do you find that kind of significance before you die?

The answer is in building a better bucket list, one that reaches far beyond the here and now, one that will impact lives for eternity.

God wants you to focus less on success – what you do, what you buy, getting applause for your achievements – and way more on living a significant life – who you are, impacting the people in your life, and leaving a legacy.

1. The first step you need to take in order to move from a life of success to a life of significance is to clarify your life’s mission. Why are you here? Until you know this, you will never have a significant life. There are only two things in life that last forever: God’s Word and the souls of men and women. Every time you invest in these, you are fulfilling your mission. When you read, meditate on, and memorize God’s Word, you are investing in something that will never fail. His Word will not return void. Every time you invest in a relationship, you love, encourage, and serve someone, you are fulfilling your mission. Your life’s mission: to know Christ and make Him known.
   
2. The second step is to embrace your mission field. Where can you make Christ known? You can begin in your home. Love your family, spend time with them, read God’s Word and pray together. Your sphere of influence also extends to your workplace and your network, the people you regularly come in contact with – friends, salespeople, and neighbors. You can make God known to your co-workers and your network by showing the fruits of the spirit, going above and beyond, and genuinely caring for them.
3. The final step in moving from success to significance is to engage in God’s harvesting process. Connect with people and build trusting relationships. Listen to their needs and try to come alongside them and meet those needs. Share your story with them. Let them know what incredible things Jesus has done in your life. Ask them to join you at church or small group or a special event. Most people don’t come to church because no one has asked them. And afterward, talk about the experience and don’t be intimidated to go the next step and encourage them to make a personal commitment to Christ.

If you have a bucket list, or if not, start one by putting these three at the top of your list:

• Fulfill my mission by knowing Christ and making Him known
• Embrace my mission field by daily impacting the people in my life for God
• Engage in God’s harvesting process

By focusing on these, you will come to the end of your life with no regrets, having lived a life full of eternal significance and meaning.

To find out more about experiencing a breakthrough in your life, check out Chip’s series Breaking through Life’s Biggest Barriers or Breakthrough.