The Practical Disciple

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning.”  Phillippians 2:14

So much of whether we experience life as joyful or drudgery depends upon the mindset we choose.  Grumbling whether out loud or with the committee in you head is a sure way to make yourself unnecessarily miserable.  In a recent post on taking mundane chores and making them Christ-centered, I shared two biblical mindsets that are spiritually healthy to adopt:  Do all thing with Gratitude (Col. 3:17), Do all things as if you do them for Christ (Col. 3:23-24).

You nurture those mindsets through tiny interventions when you find yourself complaining.  How we frame our work is important as getting it done.  In fact, its more important.  If you go at your work whether it be preaching or cleaning toilets with a reluctant heart that feels imposed upon  you might as well not do it.  You are only being a witness to others that a life in Christ is drudgery and that is a lie.  So you stop living a lie but modeling both in speech and behavior a joyful willingness to do whatever task lies before you.  Paul describes the spirit that we should have as working heartily for the Lord.

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR LANGUAGE IT SHAPES YOUR MINDSET

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Eliminate “To Do”

This morning I was reminded of this as I was mopping my kitchen floor and paused to look at what you might call my “to do” list.  Only that’s not what mine is called.  I don’t have  a “to do” list.   I create a mind map of my activities for the week and one for each day.  A mind map is simply a visual way of laying out information that works more efficiently with how your mind works.  Using a mind map is not why I said I don’t have a to do list.  If you look at my mind map  it doesn’t say “to do” it says “my joyful offering.”  That’s right when I create a list of things I am going to accomplish, I label at as my joyful offering.  It’s a declaration that what I will be doing that day is not some burden I must bear, but rather instead activities I choose to do and give to God.

Eradicate “Have To”

Notice something about my language above.  I spoke about “the things I am going to accomplish” and “activities I choose to do.” Note that I didn’t say “things I have to do.”  ”Have to” is both an unhealthy mindset and a lie.  The other day one of my kid’s asked me if they “had” to go to worship.  I said, “No, you don’t have to go to worship. You get to go to worship.”  I explained that it is a freedom that we can avail ourselves of.  In fact, many people live in places where they would be killed for trying to worship.  We don’t have to worship.  We get to worship.

Realize that virtually everything you do is a choice.  Some things may feel like a “have to” because the consequences of not doing them are so great that it feels as if you do not have an option. That simply is not true. Therefore, I would encourage you to honestly consider the alternatives you have and recognize how free you truly are.  You are not a victim to whom life happens.  You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.

Apply it

I would challenge you to try to eliminate for one week to get rid of your to do list and rather instead adopt a “joyful offering list.”  Also, for one week do everything you can to eliminate “have to” language from your life.  When you find yourself thinking or saying you “have to” do something shift your language to “get to” or “chose to.”  Note how often you do this.  Observe how uncomfortable this makes you.  See if you find yourself trying to justify your feelings of “have to”.

I guarantee from my own experience that these to shifts in mindset can make a radical difference in how you experience life.  You will be moving away from lies that give you a sense of being burden and into a joyful celebration of the truth that God gives you amazing opportunities everyday.  May God’s Blessing be with you.