Business guru Jim Collins employs a technique I think is extremely useful for our spiritual life. Every year he creates a “Stop Doing” list. It all started when someone proposed the following to him: “Imagine someone gave you $20 million dollars, no strings attached, but later that day you found out you had an incurable disease and had only ten years to live; what would you stop doing?” I think it’s a valid question to ask in our daily lives, but has particular punch when viewed in light of our relationship with God. Think about it; you have been given all power in Heaven and were told to spend your life devoted to the mission of Christ. With that in mind, what should you stop doing?
Most of us spend much of our lives engaged in activities that do nothing to further the Kingdom. Our days are filled with activity we think will make us happier or at least more comfortable. Rarely do we spend much time focused on following Jesus. We spend far more time planning our vacations than we do thinking of ways to serve Him. Yet we have the audacity to claim He is the Lord of our life.
If we are serious about truly making Him Lord, about actually being His disciple, we will need to take inventory of how we spend our time. In my coaching business, I often encourage people to keep a log of their time for one week. Without fail, people are shocked at how much of their time is spent on meaningless activity. We have a limited time on earth. How will we explain all the wasted moments when we see God face to face? We all have many things that we need to stop doing so we can start doing more for Jesus.
What would be on your “Stop Doing” list? For some it’s watching television or surfing the web; for others it may be hanging out at happy hour or working a couple of extra hours on the weekend. Every person’s situation is different, but every person has allowed irrelevant activities to crowd out the time we should be serving God and loving others. It’s a lie to say we don’t have enough time to do what Jesus told us to do. We all have enough time to do the things that are most important to us. That may mean making some uncomfortable changes and some sacrifices, but it all pales compared to what Jesus did for us.
Don’t just let this be another blog or article you read and then forget. Creating your own “Stop Doing” list will make a significant impact on your life as you seek to follow Christ. As you stop doing things that don’t support His mission and replace them with things that do, you’ll discover a whole new level in your relationship with Jesus. We have unlimited love, grace, and mercy at our disposal. How much of those are you sharing with others? What do you need to stop doing so you can share more?