30 October is Checklist Day...
In New Zealand and we don't have a checklist day. But in the US they do. They even have it as a National Day, every 30 October.
There's definitely a benefit in having checklists, and these little practical reminders and practices that can help us check-off important things to do or remember.
But did you know that the origins of National Checklist Day can be traced back to the anniversary of the crash of a Boeing Model 299? This took place on October 30, 1935. It was after this airplane crash that the pre-flight checklist was introduced and adopted as a permanent, mandatory tool for pilots. And many of us are very relieved that flying is now safer as a result.
Today, the checklist is not only used for aviation safety, but it has also been implemented in a variety of other industries and workplaces.
So, checklists can actually save lives.
What about our spiritual salvation though?
We might be tempted to use checklists for our Christianity - Go to church? check. Pray each day? check. Read our Bible? check. Invited someone to Church? check. But let's not fall into the trap of making our Christian checklists a measurement of our Christianity. We might change outwardly, but what about what is going on inside? What are our motivations? The checklist is a tool and it's not going to bring us salvation through Christ. A fundamental change needs to take place in our hearts. A list of do's and don'ts is not going to change our hearts but can lead us down a path of legalism.
Nevertheless, checklists can help us in practical ways. They can even help us reassess our priorities. They can help us focus, relieve some stress, and remind us to trust God more.
Take these examples for a Christian checklist:
- Don't let little things disturb you. - Face each day knowing "Jesus does all things well". - Look for the good in everyone, and don't have a negative attitude of finding fault. - Live a life that shows Jesus living in you. So, all who meet you actually meet Jesus. - Be an encourager. Encourage yourself and others. - Be yourself and let your heart speak to the Spirit and listen. Be fully present when you are with God. - Give all your cares to Jesus. Trust Him to heal, guard and guide. Everything will be ok - it's better to trust than to doubt and miss blessings. - Stop worrying. Do good, and let God do the rest.
So, don't stop making checklists, but don't let them take the place of a deeper relationship with Christ, or be a measure of your Christianity.
Image used of Preflight Checklist was by David from Flickr. Pre-flight Checklist | David | Flickr This image is licenced under Creative Commons. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed | Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic | Creative Commons