Preparing to attend my 30th High School reunion, I reflected on all the things I purposefully chose to pursue in high school. I was humbled how God directed my steps. I redirected, many times, only to come back to His plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
My life was self-focused during high school. What do I want to be when I grow up?
Where do I want to go to college? What will I major in? Who will I date and later marry, What will my career look like? Growing wiser over the years, I began to live intentionally focusing on others more than me.
In our Christian lives, we can also become focused on self. We read our Bible to see what God wants to say to us. We attend Bible
studies to learn more about our faith and how to be better in our Christian lives. We pray for things we want and need. None of these are wrong but we cannot allow our lives to be only self-focused but purposefully focused on what God is calling us to do outside of ourselves.
When we intentionally move from focusing on what God is doing in us to what God desires to do through us our lives go from being self-focused on God’s blessings and begins to be outwardly focused on what God wants us to do for others to glorify Him. God desires to use us to accomplish what only He can do. Being a believer in Christ we are given power by God to be able to accomplish the work He has set before us.
“and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,” Ephesians 1:19-20.
We only need to believe to receive this power. Focusing on intentional living as a wise person reveals the moments of significance.
Holy impact moments.
Intentional living is living our lives each and every day to represent Christ, serving Him through our actions and words.
Ask the Lord to reveal the opportunities that lay before you to serve others. When we ask for Him to reveal these opportunities, He lays them out very clearly before us. We don’t always choose to listen or see what He has shown us. There are many missed opportunities.
When you feel the urge to pray for someone, pray.
When God nudges you to talk with someone, talk.
When a friend needs to vent, listen.
Be intentional, focusing on these urging from God. Stop and obey. When we live with intention to glorify God our paths are made straight, His power works.
Are there places in your life where you can live with more intention? Are there urgings He has already given you? Can you begin to look for those specific moments of significance in your daily life?
