The bucket list is a fun concept. It’s all the things you want to do before you die. It’s a cool way to focus your priorities so you make the most of every minute of your life—especially as you’re getting older.
But to be honest, it feels a bit silly sometimes. Yes, seeing the Taj Mahal before you die is pretty cool. But I don’t know that it will really matter once you die. I have a feeling that in heaven, we won’t care so much about our earthly experiences. Or if we do, we can just take a glimpse at it whenever we want. Much less, I doubt it will matter to those we love that we got to see the Taj Mahal before we died.
So I get the bucket list, but at the same time I feel like it’s pretty short-sighted. I do see one sort of thing that should be on a good bucket list, though. And I think putting this at the top of the list will make all the other stuff matter more.
The number one thing is this: discover your life’s message and share it with those who matter.
I see Jesus doing this in the scene where he washed the disciples’ feet. He knew he was about to be betrayed and ultimately crucified. He was sitting down for a meal with his disciples when I see it dawning on him: Now’s the time to cross that item off my list.
He took the form of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet. And in doing so, he showed them his life message. “…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [BibleGateway]
That’s a life lived with purpose. That’s a death that has value.
So yes, climb that mountain and see that architecture. But make sure you’re living to discover God’s purpose for your life and that you find a way to share that with those who matter.