Intentional 21 Daily Devotional: Intentionality - Maria Maxwell

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  2  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  4  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  5  God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”

Do you ever wonder why God spoke creation in this particular order? Why do we have such detailed accounts of what was created each and every day? There are surely many reasons why; however, to me, it shows one of my favorite attributes of God: His intentionality. Since the beginning of time until this very moment, God has been intentional about everything He does. John 3:16 shows us God sent His Son Jesus with the intention of surrendering His life for us.

Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose…”.

Have you ever driven somewhere and realized you don’t even remember how you got there? You’re not alone. Research shows that 97% of people live much of their lives on autopilot. Most of the time, we just live our day to day without any conscious thought. There is tons of research on what our brain does when we choose to be intentional. Proving that when intentionality and our personal values align, we create a more motivated approach to our task and most importantly, our time.

As I type this, I feel the weight of this. God has entrusted us with so much: our time, our money, our kids, our jobs. When we add intentionality to each and every area of our lives, I truly believe we are being Christ-like. Just as God is intentional, we too, are called to be intentional.

Consider how being intentional can positively change areas of your life.

I am guilty of living my day to day on autopilot. When we choose to be, intentional, you and those around you benefit. I take comfort in knowing that God is intentional in every area of our lives. He is El Roi, the God who sees YOU. He sees you, knows you, and is intentional about meeting you and working things in your life just for YOU. He operates on purpose, and those who are like Him are called to do the same.

Engagement: Think about areas of your life that could use some more intentionality.

Maybe it’s being more intentional with your Bible reading or prayer life.

How could being intentional with your spouse and kids change your relationship? Are you on autopilot in any area of your life? What is it? Your job? Could being intentional at work allow you to be more productive? Perhaps being intentional with an acquaintance could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

It’s time to turn off autopilot. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you accomplish and He will give you the grace to do so. Ditch autopilot and make a conscious decision to live intentionally from here on out.

Maria Maxwell