Do you ever wonder why some people seem to get so much done when you don't? I do.
The sad thing is that I've had very productive times in my life -and some, not so much. What makes the difference?
Intention. Planning. Choosing. Preparing.
Intentional living is deliberate living. Not being tossed around by every thing and every doctrine that comes along (read James). What is my purpose today? At the end of the day today what is it that I want to see when I think about my day? If I don't know that, I'm probably going to be reacting to things instead of being proactive. That means I'm living someone else's agenda instead of mine.
Planning for success means looking ahead. What needs to be managed? Where will I have pockets of time? What do I need to have on hand to complete my tasks? This step is a huge time saver. It also keeps me focused on my agenda, not someone else's.
Choosing what I will do is important because it is also choosing what I will not do. It is prioritizing. This is my 'to-do' list for the day. I love making lists. What I love even more is checking things off my lists as I do them. That's almost as good as chocolate! Almost! :)
Preparing for my day is not just making lists and planning. It is not just about the tasks of the day, or logistics. It is also about spiritual preparation. Without this the tasks of the day are just so much busy work. They are meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
God orders our days, our entire lives. He did it long before we were born - because he has a purpose for us: for life, for this year, for this moment. If that's true do we still need to plan?
Absolutely. We don't live a life committed to Christ by accident. It doesn't just happen. It will NEVER just happen because our very nature is to be selfish and live for ourselves. We must choose daily, moment to moment to live a life committed to Christ and his service.
We must choose not to be distracted. We must be intentional, purposeful in living a life that shines the light of the gospel in our world today.
Start with time alone with God. He is your source for everything. Continue your conversation with him throughout the day as you deal with people and make decisions. Use the gifts, talents, and skills that he has given you, but always remember who guides your steps and orders your days.
Be an intentional Christian today. The life you change will be yours!
1 comment:
Howdy Esther! Talk about making a list and drawing a line through the items . . . I LOVE to do that. Imagine if you will, a family of FIVE coming to visit you (and your family of FIVE) for FIVE days. That's what we have going on here--in approximately 48 hours. Our oldest daughter went on a 3-month mission trip to Honduras early this year. The (American) family she stayed with is now on a 2-month support raising tour in the US. Of course they have to stay with us while they're in WV! But man, oh, man! It has been two weeks of DEEP CLEANING. A long list every day. Falling into bed exhausted every night. But, we'll have fun with them. Hopefully we'll bless 'em big time and afterward, I'll be able to write my heart out, knowing I've earned a break (at least a week or two) from housework!
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