Be Intentional

When we drive a car, we don’t really have to think about it much unless we are just starting to learn. We accelerate without much thought as to how hard to press the peddle. We begin the process of stopping intuitively knowing the distance to stop. We even know the roads to take. For the most part we drive without having to think about it. How many of us have driven to the wrong location just because we were not thinking, and we drove out of habit. Now we need to recognize that habits can be good and helpful, but if they are not directed, they can also be harmful or lifeless. What about your spiritual life? Do you have your spiritual life on autopilot? Is your spiritual life more about habit than it is heart? What about your worship?

In Luke 4:43 Jesus said, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” Jesus understood His purpose and was intentional about fulfilling that purpose. How about you, are you intentional about walking with God? Are you intentional about your spiritual growth? We plan everything in our lives from vacation, to school to retirement. So, why would we allow our spiritual growth to be left to chance? This plan no doubt would include items like prayer, bible reading and service. All of these actions are good and needed to grow spiritually, however they cannot be done apart from the heart. If these actives become a list that we check off, then they become lifeless and useless. Spiritual growth takes place in the heart. Our heart has to be engaged when we pray. Not to get what we want but to encounter Jesus. Our heart has to be engaged when we read His word, or we fill our heads never touching our hearts. We can serve to make ourselves fill good but then we have received our reward not being changed by the process and definitely not honoring our Father in heaven.

So, the question at this point becomes, how will you become intentional about your spiritual growth? How will you pray and have your heart engaged? How will you serve as an outflow of what God has done in your life? Be intentional about your spiritual growth.