I had every intention… {Day 27 – Intentionality}

Some how I got all the way to Day 27 of this series and had never considered the idea of having an intention to do something but then not doing it. All this time I’ve talked about BEING intentional about something in the sense of actually doing it. Being intentional about seeking God constantly for wisdom or being intentional about opening up my eyes to what He’s doing around me or being intentional about looking for ways to help people in my everyday life.

But today as I thought about what to write, I thought about the root of “intentionality”: intention.

At first, this almost seems to lessen the impact, but as God often works, it really takes the learning a little bit deeper. How many of us have heard someone say (or said ourselves), “I had every intention to…”

And it’s always followed by a “but…” as well, isn’t it?

The cool thing with intentionality (at least in my mind) is that it doesn’t just stop with “a good idea” or “I meant to do that.” It actually happens, the intention gets carried out.

Another piece though is to be able and willing to set aside our own intentions in order to follow God. I can have every intention to clean my house one evening when I get a call that a friend needs a listening ear. If I stick to my own intentions just for the sake of being “intentional” in life, I miss the true life God has called me to. It makes me think of two verses from the Old Testament:

First, there’s Proverbs 16:9 which talks about planning but being open to change:

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

And the reason our plans don’t always line up with the steps God leads us to take is that His ways and thoughts and plans are so much greater than our own. Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As Jason talked about in the sermon tonight (spoiler-alert) sometimes we have to let go of “good” in order receive God’s “better” for us. We have to give up our own intentions and seek Him alone.

I had every intention to… but God stepped in and for that I’m eternally grateful!