Intentional Living

I don’t remember where I heard it – could have been a sermon or in something I read – but the gist of the idea was to live "intentionally".  It’s not a new concept or one that should have rocked my world but it kind of did.  So much so that I typed the word and its definition in a pretty font and printed it out on card stock so I could frame it and hang it on my wall as a daily reminder (which I haven’t done). 

 

I looked at the word and saw a call to action.  It was a call to live out my faith "intentionally".  I mean there are plenty of times when I don’t feel like I’m an intentional Christian.  If I'm honest, I'm not "intentional" about much of anything.  Life happens and I usually end up playing catch up.  If I'm not careful, one day can bleed into the next without much substance.  And then I'm left to wonder how (or if) my faith entered into the picture.

Sure, I’m intentional about going to church.  But that’s not what it really means to live a Christian life.  Talking about the Bible is not the same thing as living the Bible.  I want to be someone who lives my life intentionally - meaning actually making the effort to live and walk a Christian life.  I can’t just say I’m a Christian. Being a Christian means being compelled to do – to serve – to love – to give.  If I don’t make an effort to think about and do these things, there's the danger of going through each day without doing any of them.

As life lessons go, living intentionally seemed to apply to more than just my Christian walk.  You see, I’m the kind of person who comes up with a new organizational plan every few months.  Why?  Because I try and then I fail at them.  The other day I was bemoaning the fact that I was, yet again, failing another plan when it hit me.  The reason I've failed in the past is because I haven't been intentional with any of them. 

If I have a list of things that need to be done then I must be intentional about getting them done.  If I make a plan, I must be intentional about completing it.  If I want to raise a Christian daughter, I need to be intentional about teaching her.  Intentional living is not about having good intentions.  It’s about the commitment to follow through with those intentions.  

Speaking of which – I think I'll hang my “Intentional” sign on the wall now. One more thing completed (intentionally)!