I’ll probably hold off until it comes out on DVD to watch it, but most of you have probably heard of the movie in theaters right now called “The Bucket List”. When you first hear the title (at least when I did), it makes you a little curious of what it’s all about. I’m not sure if it was a term back in the day, but they are pretty much referencing another term “kick the bucket” (when you die). From what I understand, it’s a movie where the two guys make a list of things they are going to do before they pass away.
God’s world continues to amaze me. So many kinds of people with so many different ways of doing this life and making it from birth to death by so many different paths. Then I usually take it to the next level with a question. Knowing nobody’s path from life to death is perfect but Christ’s, is there really an answer to everyone’s list of things they need are get to do before kicking the bucket.
Last night in our men’s Bible study we discussed love and Christ being our example and answer to a life of love and how to walk through it. Realizing that Christ is the answer sometimes has to make other things the wrong answer. Sometimes it has to knock some of our dreams of life (items on our bucket list) off of the list. Sometimes we have to get rid of the things we selfishly want and desire what God wants out of our life more. I believe this is probably the hardest part of being a Christian. Choosing which Bucket List to follow. The list that God has already made for us or the list we think the world has made for our life to be better.
Some say “my life will not be complete until I…….”. What a challenge to keep our eyes off of the world’s Bucket List and onto the list God has given us in His Word. Love others. Become more unselfish. Maybe the 10 Commandments even fit in there? Hopefully this is a challenge that I can follow and maybe for others to stop speaking so much about where they have been, what they have consumed and start speaking of where God has led them and how much He has consumed them. Thanks to those of you that do this already!
Filed under: Gabe Taviano, Thoughts and Thank you Thursday
Great post Gabe. I was talking to my wife about that idea recently too. I was saying how funny it is that I, like a lot of guys, say that I want to visit some of the historic ball parks (Fenway, Wrigley) before I die. I wondered out loud what the point was. I mean if I don’t get there is my life any less meaningful? Will I care in Heaven if I saw the Cubs play or not? I still want to go, but I thought it was interesting that I have this list that in the big picture, really means nothing.
I have heard this movie was sad but good. I’ll probably wait for the DVD too.
You may have thought too much about this. The premise is somewhat correct on how we need to worry about “Christ List”. Yet to invoke the Ten Commandments isn’t close. I would dare say that I wouldn’t be evil for thinking that I would love to ride shotgun in a FunnyCar at 300mph. Nor do I think it envious. Yes, you are correct in the focus of our life yet don’t discount the thought of how great it would be to….(fill in your own). That isn’t wrong in my opinion.
By the way, don’t wait for DVD this is probably one of the best movies I have seen to date. Great story about the very thing you talk about! Don’t want to give the movie away but you will be surprised as to the ending and what you think the movie is about.
In the post, I don’t think I was saying to throw your bucket list away. Hopefully it makes sense that we can have our bucket list, but make it a much less priority than the list Christ has given us to accomplish in this life. Loving others, practicing humility, and glorifying Him in all we do – not ourselves. 1 Corinthians 10:31 comes to mind.
A fellow AC180 contributor has thoughts on this as well.
great thought
“What a challenge to keep our eyes off of the world’s Bucket List and onto the list God has given us in His Word. Love others. Become more unselfish.”
That coupled with “Choosing which Bucket List to follow” sounds to me you need to make a decsision on wether you finish your worldly bucket list or your spiritual bucket list. I say that they aren’t even in the same category to compare. To want to go hunt moose up north isn’t going to cramp my style with loving others. How does that have anything to do with each other? To want something on a bucket list doesn’t negate my spiritual life. Legalism? You in my opinion are trying to make a correlation that isn’t even there. The bucket list isn’t a lifestyle like the loving others, humility is. That is the big difference in them. You are trying to take something like a to do list and a lifestyle and try to make a similarity and there isn’t one.
Enjoying the life God has given us is a tremendous blessing. What I am challenging myself with is to contemplate the bucket list God has given me before I contemplate the bucket list I am filling by enjoying the things of this world. There is so much in God’s Word about the things of this world being temporal.
You might not, but I run into people (including myself) that often follow the Dodge motto – “Grab life by the horns”. Grabbing life and just blasting through moments of pleasure for no reason seems VERY unselfish to me. What comes to my mind when I think about this are the same people that follow the Lord because a prosperous (and an empty bucket) life will follow afterwards. People that live life with a goal of emptying their bucket because they have the money to do so. Sometimes these people empty their bucket before dropping one penny into the bucket of another’s life.
I do believe our buckets can be maintained in different ways……maybe like this?
1. Of this world and emptied at our own pace. Lesson learned after the bucket gets empty and we are still looking for meaning.
2. Of this world, but the level is controlled by the moving of the Spirit. Lessons learned in both empty and full bucket moments, but finding meaning through it all.
Again, you are talking about lifestyles not a wish list. “Grabbing Life by the Horns” is a lifestyle to which a person lives under. Your metaphor for “buckets”, is flat out awful and typical of old christian thinking. Such as the “Lord of the Rings”, we can metaphor that to death with, we need to follow the “Real Lord of the Ring”. By doing so, you try to put some kind of christian twist, that is irrelevant and sounds very legalistic. Which to me was the point of this blog to turn from. The old way of thinking.
I don’t know how to put anymore plain than that. I’m not in dispute of a Christ centered life. What I am in dispute of is your application of it. This is not the place at all. The bucket list is not something attain as in your lifestyle but a “Wish List”. Something I believe you have over thought and missed in your metaphor.
Maybe you can share with us your idea of a Bucket List and the point of it? You won’t hear me calling you “awful”….you can count on that, lol. Your view might be different, but it’s not for me to judge whether when it’s all said and done you are on track or not.
A Bucket List to me would most certainly have to be a “wish list”. Maybe my statements are about a different list we often see……..one that people feel they deserve…….or that God should allow them a “prosperous life”?
ok, Gabe, take a deep breath and read the above and see if I called YOU awful.
I didn’t, Your METAPHOR is awful. You sound very sensitive. Also, if you read what I wrote I have told you quite a few times as to what I thought a bucket list was.
It is merely a wish list of things to do before you die. That is it, nothing more nothing less. It isn’t a lifestyle that is centered around this list (nor is the movie written that way) just somethings that would be cool to do before you die. Nothing about the list professes to pull your attention from your life with Christ.
I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings. Just trying to give an honest evaluation of your metaphor. Nothing was intended to be directed at you as a person. If I did hurt your feelings…Sorry.
I get what you are saying about a wish list before you die, but where I was going with the original blog posting (or trying to and maybe failed) was that there are some of us whose focus is completely off of any list of things we should be doing for Christ and very self-centered on things that “we deserve” and sometimes keep Christ completely out of.
When Christ is completely out of the picture, the “thing” is completely materialistic and of this world (the individual alone is primarily taking up the picture instead). I believe I deserve to be sensitive to slams of being legalistic or having awful metaphors? Avoiding confrontation and just speaking clearly for explanation purposes seems to portray Christ as He should appear to the world.
Well the point of Christ centered life is always good. Just my opinion was that the application was wrong. We will agree to disagree, no big deal.
Jesus however did not avoid confrontation. He also wasn’t sensitive in the least (in the context we are speaking of). He was strong. So no you don’t DESERVE to be sensitive, you choose to be so. That my friend is up to you. It is up to you on how you choose to let the world effect you.
I don’t believe I would bother blogging or podcasting – or even being a web designer if I wasn’t up for good discussions or opinions. I pray you only see Christ through any blog, website or podcast I deliver……and I pray the same for you. The point of a Christ centered life is not just always good……it’s all there is.
Each person has been designed by the Lord – and should desire to conform to HIs likeness. He does not consist of awful metaphors or legalism, so to throw me into that bag of trash should most definitely impact my senses. If you want to leave well enough alone, please share your senses through your own blog posts that get deeper than presidential candidates, the market or global warming.
Gabe,
I believe that with all my heart that we are to be in his likeness. Yet what is his likeness? I believe it is a strong spirit with love and conviction. Not one of malice or hate. To let a fellow brother in Christ his metaphor was awful doesn’t reflect on him as a person. Maybe I should have said it a little better. Yet your response was one of defense and anger. Not one built on love and humility you just proclaimed should be your prime target in life. So yes, I was hoping to let go the fact that you believed it a good metaphor and me not to. I don’t get where the rub is. That I thought was the mature thing to do considering the point had been made on both sides yet head way was not being made. Again if I said something to hurt your feelings I am truly sorry.
PS Feel free to join the discussion on my new blog. Also please let me know how I can make it flow better (you doing it for a living and all). I love my country and the politics that make up it. I love to have liberals, conservatives, republicans, democrats etc… all to share opinions!
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.