"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." Ephesians 5:15-17
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
It’s so easy for life to roll by, to happen to us. We get busy, distracted, and we often live life on autopilot. Just like the drive to church every Sunday, we don’t have to proactively, intentionally, think about how to get there. We just get there… automatically. Sadly, we often live life that way also.
In a 1954 speech to the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower quoted: "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent."
We get so busy with what feels urgent, that we often forget what is important. As Christians, we must live intentionally. We must seek God’s face through prayer and His Word. God’s Word won’t instill in us, won’t grab hold of us, certainly won’t change us without us actively reading, memorizing, and applying it to our lives. God can’t speak to us if we aren’t talking to Him, and of course listening to Him. He speaks to us always, but we must actively listen, or we won’t hear.
Bruce and I have been together for the majority of my lifetime. Because of that, sometimes, well most of the time, I take him for granted. I don’t always take the time to tell him, and more importantly show him, how much I appreciate him. I have been on autopilot… going through life without being intentional in one of the most important relationships God has blessed me with. I need to remind myself (or rather God reminds me!) to be intentional. To be loving. To be kind. To be supportive. Not to nag… (okay, that’s a tough one!) If you don’t even realize that you aren’t being all those things, you can’t change it.
The same can be said in every area of our lives, in every relationship. In the way we manage our finances; the way we run our households; sadly, our relationship with our loving Creator. We can allow the seemingly “urgent,” to distract us, or we can choose to focus on what is important and necessary for our lives. We choose what to say, what to do, where to go, and we need to give all those things some thought! We must be intentional.
I love these daily Lincoln words of encouragement because they make me think about what I can do better by relying on Jesus. They encourage me to be intentional in my walk with Him. The Holy Spirit then, will direct and guide me in how to be intentional in every other area of my life.
Being intentional is not always easy. It takes work! In what area(s) of your life have you been on autopilot?