Is having a bucket list biblical?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

A “bucket list” is a list of activities or places someone would like to do or visit before they die. As an expression of wishes, it is not inherently sinful. However, neither is it biblical in the sense of being prescribed by Scripture. In that sense, it’s neutral, though it could become sinful.

What could make a bucket list sinful?

First, everything we do is to be done in submission to God’s will. A bucket list that presumes upon the future is sinful. In contrast, James taught that our plans should be held with an “if the Lord wills” posture (James 4:13–15).

Second, everything we do must honor God. If a bucket list contains activities that dishonor God, Christ, or one’s witness as a believer (1 Corinthians 10:31), then the list is sinful.

Third, if the list is made with a “this would be nice if it happened” motivation, then it’s likely not sinful. However, if the list is an expression of discontentment with what God has given, it becomes sinful. Contentment is a sign of one who trusts God in all situations (Philippians 4:11–13), whereas discontentment is the sinful longing for something that God hasn’t given.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Human plans are subject to God’s will. For example, we read that “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9) and “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Having hopes and plans for the future isn’t condemned. However, one must make plans in submission, knowing that our plans do not always happen or happen as we expect. This is because God is working out His plans in our lives.
• Because what we want may not happen, we must learn contentment. Rather than our happiness being bound in getting our desires, our satisfaction in this life is to be found in the LORD (e.g., Psalm 37:4).
• A bucket list is a list of activities we hope to accomplish before we die. However, even as we make plans, we must remember: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1). We don’t even know if we will be alive tomorrow, let alone be able to guarantee that we’ll be able to tick items off our list.
• We must also be careful with what activities or places we include on a bucket list. Solomon gave a serious warning about how we are to live our lives: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13b–14). Everything we do, or even plan to do, must honor God (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:31) or it will bring us dishonor when He judges us. So, while a bucket list is not inherently sinful, we must be careful about what we add to the list.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• James gave an illustration about some men planning a business and making a profit over the next couple of years (James 4:13). However, he added, “you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:14–15).
• Any plans for the future, including a bucket list, must be done with an “if the Lord wills” posture. We can plan, but we shouldn't assume we can carry it out. Of such presumption, James said, “You boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (James 4:16). One danger of a bucket list is that it could become an expression of discontentment. It’s one thing to say it would be fun to visit such-and-such a place. It’s another thing to express discontentment if you are unable to go, whatever the reason. Part of God’s sovereignty is His determining what we will and will not have in this life. Whenever we are dissatisfied with what we have, we are sinfully expressing discontentment with God’s good gifts. We want more, better, or different things.
• Paul, conversely, demonstrated how a believer is to live. Thanking others for their material gifts, he said, “I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11–13). By humbly trusting God, Paul had learned that it didn’t matter what happened in this life. It was all from God. Thus, Paul was content in all circumstances. While planning for the future is fine, it should never be done in a “I must do this at least once to be happy” manner.
• Another danger of a bucket list is that it often sets one’s mind on earthly things. For the believer, life does not end when we die. A bucket list suggests there is limited time in which we must squeeze every ounce of fun. It can also seem as if the good gifts in this life are better than those to come. While a bucket list isn’t inherently sinful, we must be careful that our thoughts are not on the earthly things that will go away but on what’s to come (Philippians 3:20–21).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Swim in the Great Barrier Reef. Hike the Alps at sunrise. Eat street food in Bangkok. Watch the Northern Lights ripple across an Arctic sky. Stand on every continent.

We all have lists like that—places we want to see, experiences we want to have, moments we tell ourselves will finally make life feel “complete.” And there’s nothing wrong with wanting good things like these. But somewhere between dreaming and doing, those lists can become something more: a measure of our happiness or a test of whether life has been enough. We must be careful that our hope does not turn into discontentment.

The reality is that bucket lists never get completed. If we keep living, there will always be more things we want to do, and if we die, well, so do the lists. Even before you were born, God had already ordained what you would and would not do. He also decided how long you would live and when you would die. Your life will not deviate from that one bit. That is why James reminded his readers to plan everything in a “Lord willing” manner. We must be willing not to finish our bucket lists and be satisfied when we do not, knowing that what God gave us was both for our good (Romans 8:28) and for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Is there something on your list that you believe must be accomplished for you to be content or fulfilled? Then take a moment to consider where your contentment lies. Being content isn’t about having everything we need or want. It’s having a heart that is satisfied with our lives, regardless of how they turn out, learning that Jesus is enough with everything else God gives us, being the icing on the cake.

UNDERSTAND

• A bucket list is not inherently sinful but must be held with an "if the Lord wills" posture.
• All activities on a bucket list must honor God and be done with gratitude for what He gives us as opportunities.
• A bucket list becomes sinful when it expresses discontentment with what God has provided or sets the mind on earthly experiences as the source of ultimate satisfaction.

REFLECT

• What is on your bucket list, and how do you seek to experience those things in a way that glorifies God and expresses gratitude?
• In what ways do your hopes for future experiences shape where you think true happiness or fulfillment comes from?
• How would your bucket list (or future goals) change if you consistently approached them with “if the Lord wills”?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage each other to dream and plan for the future while still maintaining biblical contentment and humility before God?
• How do Christians practically distinguish between legitimate enjoyment of God's good gifts in this life and the kind of earthly focus that treats present experiences as better than what is to come?
• How does the tension between planning (James 4) and contentment (Philippians 4) shape the way we should talk about goals and life aspirations?