2 min read
Lately, it seems I’m hearing the term ‘Live intentionally’ or ‘Live with intention’ or something with the same definition every time I turn around. Apparently, this is striking a chord with a wide audience.
What does it mean though? It sounds a bit vague, like a catch phrase that is very quickly losing any real meaning to it from overuse.
There are several phrases like this, in culture at large as well as within Christian culture. We’ve gone from WWJD to living missionally to many others.
It’s kind of exhausting, right? I mean, there are some podcasts I listen to and blogs I read that sometimes serve as great helps to my life but often times I find myself just overburdened by trying to keep up with it all.
For instance, the word ‘hack’ to describe basically an easy fix or solution to just about every area of life. I laughed when I read a book description that said the book included ways to learn how to ‘hack’ sunlight to help your body and sleep patterns.
Maybe we can agree that ‘hack’ has about run its course by now? I mean, this meme kind of backs up that idea, right? :)
Okay, let me get back on track here - what does living with intention actually mean? And more importantly, how does one go about doing that?
What I think it means, and I’m certainly not sure of this, is to live one’s life in such a way as life doesn’t just happen to you. That you take an active role in creating the life you want to live.
This creates some tension in my life. On the one hand, I’ve seen what habits and structure can do for me on a personal level (they help me a ton if you’re wondering.)
On the other hand, how do we hold structure loosely enough to acknowledge that we actually have very little control over what happens in our lives?
Most everyone has been through some type of traumatic experience by the time they’re 30 in my estimation. Those times where it just wakes you up from your stupor and clarifies what actually matters in life.
Those moments where you realize you truly have no control whatsoever in your own life, much less in the lives of those you love.
So, to live with intention is to not live by accident. It is to live with a clear purpose of mind and heart and to take daily or weekly steps towards accomplishing that purpose.
It is also, however, leaving room for the Holy Spirit to move in our lives and realizing we ultimately don’t have very much control in life, no matter how many hacks we implement.
Again, hacks can be great tools, and habits even better ones, but living with intention in my opinion requires living in step with the Spirit.
Are we following God in every area of our lives? Are we continuously saying, ‘Not my will but Your’s be done?’ Or are we more frequently letting God know what we ‘know’ is best for us and asking for His blessing?
In other words, are we living intentionally for His glory or our own?
