Jay Payleitner

I hope you do climb Mount Everest, run with the bulls in Spain, sleep in an igloo, get invited to the White House, or collect Starbucks mugs from all 50 states. Sounds like fun.

On the other hand, your goals for your life are not nearly as important as God’s goals for your life. In other words, please don’t be surprised if all your careful planning and goal setting gets set aside by the master planner himself. The Bible reminds us, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9 NLT). That idea is confirmed again and again in Scripture.

But the item he wants most on our bucket list is a humble acknowledgment that we can’t do life without him.

Amazingly, if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, you should occasionally choose to drive into the storm. You need not worry. You will be safe.

Childlike faith means you finally see God as a trustworthy heavenly Father.

But when glory comes, give it away, and you can check one more item off that bucket list. Put others ahead of yourself. Actually, put everyone ahead of yourself. Which makes you last. But that’s okay, because in God’s economy, “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16).