Benign Lists, Life-Taking Lists, and Life-Giving Lists
We live in a world full of lists. We essentially have three kinds of them: benign lists, life-taking lists, and life-giving lists.The benign lists are like our grocery lists, chore lists, or to-do lists. They're mostly harmless unless we let the second kind of list corrupt them.The second type of list is a life-taking list. This is the type of list we encounter the most but may not realize. It can manifest itself in many ways. For example, it can be shown through the words of an abusive parent.
- You're not good enough.
- You're such a screw up.
- You should've never been born.
- You'll never amount to anything in life.
A life-taking list could also be shown through the words of secular magazines and news outlets that continually highlight our shortcomings.
- Five reasons you're alone.
- From broke to rich in six steps.
- Seven ways to a better bod.
With life-taking lists being so prevalent though, we often take for granted the many life-giving lists that God gives us in scripture, such as:
- The eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)
- The nine fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
When God gives us lists, he means them for our good and for his glory. God's lists aren't always burdensome, but when they do feel arduous, he asks us to call on him for strength.
Related: When God Interrupts Your Plans
Ordinary people can come up with life-giving lists as well, but too often people-created lists end up being life-taking instead of life-giving. And even if a people-created list is life-giving, it ceases to be life-giving when we uphold it more than we uphold the lists of God.