Happy national Checklist Day …

I’m one of those naturally organized people. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t approach things with some sense of organization, and that usually meant making a list of some sort.

Things to do.

Things to get.

Things to pray about.

The best part of making a checklist is putting a check mark by each item once it’s completed. That simple action provides a brief sense of accomplishment — another thing done! It feels like progress is being made.

But organization doesn’t always result in progress, or even productivity. In his book, “Harvest of Humanity,” John Seamands shared this story:

A German soldier was wounded. He was ordered to go to the military hospital for treatment. When he arrived at the large and imposing building, he saw two doors, one marked, “For the slightly wounded,” and the other, “For the seriously wounded.”

He entered through the first door and found himself going down a long hall. At the end of it were two more doors, one marked, “For officers,” and the other, “For non-officers.” He entered through the latter and found himself going down another long hall. At the end of it were two more doors, one marked, “For party members” and the other, “For non-party members.” He took the second door, and when he opened it he found himself out on the street.

When the soldier returned home, his mother asked him, “How did you get along at the hospital?”

“Well, mother,” he replied, “to tell the truth, the people there didn’t do anything for me, but you ought to see the tremendous organization they have!”

You can have all the checklists you could possibly want, but if you don’t execute what’s on the lists, you won’t accomplish anything.

Just as important as excuting the items on your lists is the content of your lists. If it’s a Saturday and you need to get some housework done, a to-do list with a bunch of check marks next to things like “vacuum the carpet,” “mop the floor,” “clean the bathrooms,” “do the laundry,” and “dust the living room” will mean you’ve had a productive time of accomplishing your goals for that day.

But what about the checklists for the more important things in life? What’s the content on those lists? Are you prioritizing things like “love God foremost,” or “love my spouse second only to God,” and “be a faithful and effective ambassador for Christ”?

It’s easy to grind out lists of chores to do, and just as easy to fail to prioritize into the organization of our lives the things that are most important in life. Today is national Checklist Day, which just might be a good time to examine how you are doing at incorporating into your lists those things that matter most, assigning them the right priority, and actually getting something done regarding them.

Scotty