I don't have a conclusive answer to the questions I've been posing the past couple of days. I'm not sure I ever will. On the one hand, I don't really think GTD is somehow only for unbelievers and the spiritually immature. But I don't want to fall into the trap of thinking the organizational equivalent of the Maasai man's comment about the American and his watch: "You keep your god on your wrist." I don't want to think that my dayplanner or Next Action list is the sum total of who I am and all that's worth doing on a given day.

There's part of me that really finds it comforting to think that (1) the God of the universe is constantly with me, (2) longing to guide me into a perfect pattern of circumstances where (3) I will find fulfillment in (4) glorifying Him.

And, to be honest, maybe part of the allure of this G.O.D. concept is that it takes the organizational onus off me and leaves it on the infinitely broad shoulders of God, who can handle it. While that may reflect my own laziness, it also leaves me with perhaps the larger burden of stifling my selfishness in order to be perfectly listening and obeying God 24/7. Wow.

What I'd like to find and share here is a succinct list of Scriptures that can guide us into an appropriate understanding of what God intends our listening relationship to be with Him. I do believe that God gives us commitments and responsibilities He expects us to take up and, well, be responsible for. But we're not meant to be lone rangers, either.

In my search for this set of principles and scriptures, I did run across an article I found helpful. It likens a listening ear for God to a learning musician gaining an ear that over time becomes more and more sensitive to perfect pitch. Each practice session started with a solid moment of silence, followed by the teacher/conductor guiding each and every student/musician in the tuning of their instrument. Eventually the entire orchestra was tuned, and began to practice and perform as a unit.

Similarly, the Christian's life should have regular times of silence, time for God to correct our "tuning" through Scripture, and shared work and discussion with other believers, towards the beautiful harmony of God speaking and working in and through all of us.

I will be mulling over the place a system like GTD should have in my life and in the life of a believer. I'd appreciate any ideas you have.