Intentions vs. Intentional
I feel like I’m running on a hamster wheel. For the past several months it has been the same thing; I have good intentions, but something keeps them from flourishing. We all have good intentions. Some of these are to eat right, exercise more, read our Bible daily, pray each morning, be patient with our loved ones, spend less money, or wake up 30 minutes earlier each day. Something hinders these from happening; either our own laziness or the busyness of the world gets in the way. When we are not intentional in our actions, our head and heart are not right. We are not focused on God; we are focused on the world around us.
Having good intentions and being intentional is not the same thing. Having good intentions is helpful but those are just thoughts. If you are not putting your thoughts into actions then you are not being intentional. I have been working on a mind and heart change for myself. I realized as I am working on being intentional, I cannot do it on my own, I need God to do some major work in me. I need a miracle! Not only am I not getting things done in my life, but I feel a million miles from God. Matthew 5:8 tells us that when our mind and heart are not right then we cannot see God. We are too busy focused on other things and our need for control to allow room for God to work. As we continue on this hamster wheel we get mentally and physically exhausted.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
Look at how Jesus says, “walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.” We need Jesus to help us. I love that He knows this and is willing to show us how to be kind to others and how to slow down and see Him in our world. There is no possible way we can do it on our own. We get too caught up in our perfectionism and self-control to do it on our own. Every time I try to take control, I fail. I always lose sight of my intentions because I’m not putting the right actions with the thought. In the midst of my failure, I exhaust myself. I love this quote I heard on a podcast: Jonathan Pitts says, “Intentionality doesn’t mean perfection, it only means purposeful.” We don’t have to be perfect as we are working on this, but we do need to always be purposeful. When we try to be perfect we will always be disappointed at the end of the day. But if we only focus on being purposeful in our walk with Christ - controlling our anger, showing love, and choosing how we spend our time - we can be pleased with the small changes we see each day.
This is a part of life that I continually have to get back in check. It is so hard to slip back into old habits. But life is short and how we spend it is so important. I want those that are important to me to recognize that they are important to me. I want them to see God’s love shining through me to them. I want my actions to be evident of my love for Christ and my intentions as I walk through my worldly journey. Jesus is so good to give us the rest and help we need. He loves us so much that He does not want us to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and like a failure. He wants us to see ourselves everyday as His children, confident in what He is doing in our lives.
8 Ways to Be Intentional Every Day:
Pray each morning before your feet hit the floor that God will help you that day on the specific things you want to be intentional with. For example, I specifically pray that God will help me to be kind and patient with my family.
Practice active listening.
Be mindful of the media you are consuming.
When you feel anger or anxiety rise in you stop and say a 5 second prayer for God to come and intercede in your situation.
Make time for self-reflection.
At the end of the day list 2 specific things you did that day you are proud of.
Do one thing for yourself that brings you joy and one thing for another person that brings them joy.
Be aware of what you are saying “yes” and “no” to. Think about how important they are to you and how they will affect those around you.
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
Digging Deeper:
Read Matthew 5:1-16 MSG, Psalm 18:26, Matthew 15:11, and Isaiah 42:6
What do you need to be intentional about?
What ways do you need God’s help in being intentional? Be specific.
In what ways do you need to fully surrender this over to God?