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Living an intentional life, what does that exactly mean? Do we live our lives looking for ways to be intentionally sharing the gospel, eating right, working hard, making wise decisions with our money, and the relationships with others we have? Over the last few months, I've had to learn a lot about intentionality - starting work at 9:30 means I have more time in the morning to do my own thing, so instead of wasting the precious hours, I've decided to use them for working out, eating a healthy breakfast, and spending time in the bible. This is the first year where I finally feel like I have a winning morning routine, and let me tell you, it feels wonderful! These things didn't just fall into place though - especially my time in the word - they were all intentional decisions that I knew would benefit my physical and spiritual health in the long run.
Much of life is this way, without intentionality, many things would never get done. Good example is the state of my bedroom - 95% of the time I never get in there to clean so it's a disaster zone - if I were to intentionally put aside time each day to work on it, it could be a dream to live in rather than a disaster! Below are some areas I've seen in my life I've had to work on and need to work on being intentional in. Let me tell you, for a person who
flies by the seat of her pants half the time, intentionality doesn't come naturally...so as much as this is an encouragement to me, may it also encourage you!
Walk With the Lord
A person's walk with the Lord is very personal, but we all know that getting into the Word each and every day takes perseverance and intentionality. We have to intentionally carve out time, pull ourselves away from the world around us, and take to heart what we read. When I was younger, I really thought that my time with the Lord had to be long and drawn out - I was leaning towards legalism - and that if it wasn't, I had failed in some way. As I've grown and matured in my walk with the Lord, I've come to realize that even if all I have is 10-15 minutes in a day, that is better than putting no time at all into my walk with the Lord.
Something that really helped me in this area was a sermon series my pastor did back in the beginning of Fall last year. In the sermons series he talked about being a committed follower of Christ and that one of the signs of someone passionately pursuing Christ was their love for being in His word. Needless to say, at that time I was struggling just to get into scripture a couple of times a week. As I thought over his sermon though, Christ placed a desire on my heart to daily spend time with Him, my best friend. Oh how sweet it is to commune with my Lord. I can now say it has become one of my favorite times of day.
I say all this - not out of pride, for it is not in my own power I am able to do this - rather, it is Christ who gave me the desire and the job (that gave me more time in the morning) to put into spending time with Him. Let me encourage you, intentionally follow Christ each and every day. Put in a CD with scripture being read while driving, use even moments in the bathroom (seriously) to read if needed, take time on your lunch break to delve into the Word....if you look, you'll find moments in your day you didn't know you had. You will find immense blessing in your walk with the Lord if you do so and your whole outlook on life will slowly start to change for the better. Sin will be revealed, the desire to confess the sin, and the ability to walk in God's grace will give you a peace that passes all understanding.
Health/Exercise/Eating Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Sour gummy worms, french fries, frosting, chips, crackers, brownies, cupcakes.....I could go on and on about the junk food I like - seriously, my good friend Jessie and I will even talk about junk foods while working out! It's pathetic! With all that said though, as much as I love the taste of sour gummy worms (my most favorite candy), eating healthy has been a work in progress - produced mainly from some health issues I've faced and the realization that without them, I feel much better. Just because I know said foods aren't good for me doesn't mean I can automatically say no to eating them. I've had to intentionally, with the help of the Lord, put my mind to it and learn to walk away from
foods I so strongly desire to eat. Being okay with eating vegetables for breakfast, salads at lunch and dinner, and few carbs gets easier over time - a long time - but realizing that struggle is a part of life and the pay off is worth it helps. You WILL see results once you start eating healthy within a matter of days - guaranteed.
Eating healthy goes hand-in-hand with exercise. A quote from a friend of mine's brother that we've laughed at time and again is this, "Ab's aren't made in the gym, they're made in the kitchen!" - Laugh now, but it's true. You can work your abs - crunches, rowing, swimming, cardio - and if your not eating healthy you will won't see great results. I know this from personal experience! So, if your not into exercise and don't have a gym membership, remember, even getting out and walking a few times a week is better than nothing at all - do some push-ups, crunches, and lunges in your own home even! You can do it!!!! If you are into working out, good for you! Your heart and body will thank you now AND later in life! Combine your exercise with healthy eating habits and not only with the weight come off more quickly, you'll have better stamina and feel better overall.
So, whether your a dreamer of exercising, a part time gym goer, or a committed endorphin junky, remember that where you want to be or where you are takes/took intentionality. Focus on scripture and the truths of His word while doing those things that are hard, and you will find a strength you didn't know you had.
Relationships Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
As a single person, your probably wondering what could I possibly have to say about relationships. I probably have quite a bit, not that any of it would make sense, but come on people - I'm a social person who thinks about relationships quite often! Now, we all know that relationships are more than just romantic...in fact, we are all in relationship with multiple people at all times in our life, maybe not lovey dovey ones, but the friendships with co-workers, church people,family, and whoever else we may let in to the more carefree side of ourselves all fall into the category of "relationships". Relationships must be intentional as well or else they will fall away, be superficial, and ultimately, the gospel will not be shown - both to believers and non-believers. All relationships need to be pursued with the gospel centrally focused in. As a believer, I know from scripture that my job is to proclaim the gospel, live in unity with my fellow bro's and sis's in the Lord, and take every opportunity to exhort and encourage those around me. Can all this be accomplished if we are lazily sitting at home, watching tv by ourselves? Let me spell the answer out for you - N-O ...it's just not possible. So, let me encourage you today to pursue someone today who you've maybe not talked to in a while, or that person you wish you could just know a little bit better. You will never regret it, especially if you do so in the name of the Lord and for His glory!
Work
At the beginning of the school year I was blessed with a job at the local school district working with the disabled community. If you know anything about me and my love for those God has blessed a little differently in life than the average person, I was exhilarated. I felt like God had finally opened a door into a new path that would be exactly what I wanted (little did I know!). After 3 weeks of working at my new job, things got extremely difficult with one of my students who has sever autism. I felt threatened on a daily bases, my emotions were a roller coaster every day with the highest point never feeling very high and the lowest point being a constant flow of tears and I had no clue what I was doing or what I should be doing to help the situation.
After struggling through the situation for a few months, never knowing if I would finish working with this student and come out physically unharmed, I began to realize that if I wanted to have a changed heart - I was feeling a strong dislike for my situation and student - I needed to be intentionally taking it to the Lord in prayer. At first I didn't even know what to pray for other than my safety, but eventually I began to realize that my main goal needed to be working with him in a way that the light of Christ would shine through my actions. I then began to pray for him specifically, and things began to change. I am praising God right now that though we still have rough times - okay, several of them - and though I still find it hard to make myself show up and work with him, there has been improvement and a new excitement in his eyes to work hard at his behavior. I have seen God answer un-prayed for prayers as well as prayed for ones...and let me tell you, we serve a faithful God.
So, let me encourage you today, if your struggling to find fulfillment in your job, find it difficult to work with some of your co-workers, you wish you could be on a higher pay scale, or your a stay-at home mom who is struggling to raise your child(ren)- whatever it may be - intentionally seek the face of your King in prayer and He will be faithful to answer!
As it is written:
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:4-10)
