Intentionally - From the Executive Director

   A couple of weeks ago, my small group leader challenged us to find a word that would serve as a cornerstone for our year, which would stimulate us to be better individuals, that would motivate us to become stronger spiritually.

As we went around the room, there were some great terms being chosen –faith, honesty, wait, truth, caring, etcetera. When it came time for me to reveal mine, although it has been something I have been trying to incorporate into my life for a little while now, I felt the Spirit prodding me to proclaim “intentional” as my foundational word.

With each passing year, I have strongly believed God was going to “do a work” on me. I sensed it was going to be “life-changing” in many ways. I thought I would be able to reflect back and pinpoint this moment in time where my life turned the corner or “took off.”

Maybe in the past this has been the “hopeful wishes” of an optimist, or the positive thoughts of an idealist, however I have truly seen glimpses of how God can work in and through my life when I approach it intentionally.

After searching a number of Bible translations, I was hard-pressed to find any instance or form of the word being used, save one. Nevertheless, this philosophy can be argued as the basis of how God wants us all to live.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15).

Many of us, me included at times, “desire” a change or “want” something different for our life, but we never take the steps to do anything about it. We just “go with the flow” and live the lukewarm existence which has plagued us for so long, and then wonder why we’re still at the same place years later.

We say we want a new job, but haven’t bothered to search, decide what we’d like to do or even prepare a resume.

We affirm we want to be in a relationship, but we don’t put ourselves in a position to meet new people or deviate from our past patterns of behavior.

We declare we are going to accomplish “something” this year, but don’t take any steps in order to do so.

Whatever it is, we have to decide to make a concerted effort to do it. No one else is going to do it for us. You must approach it intentionally .