Intentional
Every Saturday morning, bright and early, my husband and I walk to a coffee shop in downtown Mooresville together. We enjoy the quiet of the morning, the exercise, and the uninterrupted conversation. Once there, we sip on hot cups of fresh dark roast and discuss plans for the day, the upcoming week, and sometimes even jump ahead to the coming months and years. We are able to share what we’ve had on our minds and hearts all week…challenges at work, issues at home, and how we need to address things.
This routine began about a year ago and is now a normal part of our weekly schedule. Our children know that when they stir from their Saturday slumber they won’t find us at home. And this is good. This is OUR time. There are other activities we could do on Saturday mornings. We could even sleep in! However, we rarely allow anything to get in the way of this. We are intentional in spending this time together.
Scheduling that time and making sure it happens doesn’t just, well, happen. It takes planning. It takes commitment. It takes work. Often there is not a direct correlation between the effort we put into things and the results. Being intentional takes time and persistence. It takes patience.
I’d like to say I am great at this concept of intentionality. But the reality is, I’m more of a planner. Give me a blank piece of paper and I can come up with schedules and to-do’s and checklists galore! But, the intentional implementation of such things? Not so much.
Can you relate?
In the book of Daniel, we find that no matter the odds stacked against him, Daniel was going to work the plan. He was going to pray, three times a day, to the one, true God no matter what! He wasn’t going to make a list of how he would grow his relationship with the Lord. He took action! Even when his life was on the line, there was no hesitation for him to kneel at his window, where all could see, and pray. (Daniel 6:10) Dedication and commitment to God was priority number one for Daniel. And, God used him in mighty ways.
Like Daniel, we want our relationship with the Lord to be sure and strong. We want to be confident that when the going gets rough, He will be with us. But we must not simply talk about having a prayer life. We must pray! We must intentionally seek Him every day. We must prioritize Bible study and openly share God’s truth and promises with others everywhere we go.
Paul did just that. He is another Biblical example of a person who lived intentionally. Traveling great distances to spread the gospel, he executed a plan and stuck with it. In Acts 20:20 he says, “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.”
Having good intentions is not the same as being intentional.
Many of us know what to do…we just don’t do it!
God wants more for us! He wants us to live lives with purpose. He doesn’t want us to wait around for life to happen; He wants us to MAKE life happen!
~ Tara Dye is a longtime member of LIFE Fellowship. She and her husband Paul have three children.