THE List

~Tracy Frederick

     Ok women, here it is! You’ve got your “Grocery List,” “Wal-Mart list,”  “To-Do” list,  “Honey-Do” list, you may have even started a “Bucket List,” and now you are about to brave Target to purchase the items on your child’s “School Supply List” all the while trying to figure out why in the world you need to buy 4 boxes of tissue for one kid while trying to hang onto the last shred of your patience and convince your child that last year’s supplies will work just fine even though it is not the new cool color…fuchsia, lime green…whatever….. whew! Life can be chaotic, to say the least. With all of the media and social messages bombarding us each day, it can be hard sometimes to sift through the noise and temptations and decide what is right. After all, Satan is very good at disguising things to make them attractive to us. (Yep, that’s called temptation.)
     Well, you asked for it and now you’ve got it! Here ya go --- an easy check list to help you to determine if the activity, behavior, clothing item, movie, television show, etc. is acceptable for your children, your family and ultimately YOU. The work is done for you. All you need to do is read, pray and follow.
(This list is brought to you in part because of the recent heat wave and the activities families are choosing to cool off, ways that people are clothing/unclothing themselves to be more “comfortable,” and the school events that will soon be gearing up to “entertain” our children. I encourage all moms to print this and put it on the fridge. Let your children read the list and let them reason through/make the decision. You’ll be surprised at how often they will make the right choice, and you’re teaching them to use God as their guide, not you!)

1. Is it a “work of the flesh?” or “fruit of the spirit?” Not sure? See definition below: (hint: choose the fruit of the spirit!)

Flesh: ^“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:19-21

(If you are unsure of the meanings of the words above, you can find them quickly in a Bible dictionary or concordance- print or online….or call me, message me, talk to me…. come to my house…. and I’ll be happy to help you look them up.)

Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23.

2. Would it cause someone to stumble/sin? Not sure why that’s a big deal? See reason below: (hint: it is pretty serious business)

“But whosoever shall offend [encourage to sin] one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” Matt. 18: 6-7; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2. (see Matt. 5:28 for the seriousness of lusting)

4. Does it bring glory to God?

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Col. 3:17.  

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I Cor. 10:31.

“If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.”  Malachi 2:2.


 5. Does it serve as a good example to others?

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." I Timothy 4:12

“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” II  Peter 3:14.

6. Does it make me/help me to be the temple of God? 

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” I Cor. 6:19-20.

7. Is it worthy of the blood sacrifice paid for me?

^“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Romans 8: 5-11.

8. Ok…ok…Still not sure? Need something to pull it all together?

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” I Thess. 5:22. 

List source: God.

Much of this was “borrowed” from my husband’s sermon “Do you Believe?” with an addition or two by me….He's ok with it, after all we are one flesh ya know. ;-)