As the race is slowly coming to an end and my squad starts ministry and life in our last country, my heart has started to grow tremendously for intentionality. Before the race, I wouldn’t say that I was the most intentional person ever… a lot of the time I just let life go by and I believed that a deep relationship with the Lord would form naturally with time. While that’s not 100% wrong, I know now that deep, real relationships require a level of intentionality in them. When I begin to think about relationships that Jesus would’ve had day to day, I believe that he would’ve been a pretty intentional friend; that he would’ve put other’s desires and needs before his own and that he would do more than just acknowledge them. Jesus would act on love for others.
The fullness of love of the Lord is a really hard thing for my mind to grasp around, but when I think of intentionality, it lines up with that love. So what does the Bible say about the Father’s love? Starting in Pslam 34 it says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” God hears us when we cry out to Him 100% of the time, and will deliver us out of all our troubles. This doesn’t mean it’s necessary going to be in the ways we want or expect, but he will deliever us if we ask. That’s love. Pslam 52 also says that that the true love of God endures all the day. That not only will His love carry us, it will never let us down.
The Bible shows us over and over again how great the Fathers love for us is, but the greatest reason that I know the Father loves us is summed up perfectly in 1 John 4:9 when it says, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son in the world, so that we might live through him.” The gospel is His love. The gospel is intentional.
Intentionality is when something is done on purpose, God sending his one and only son to die for me and for you had the greatest purpose out of anything ever done. Jesus died so we could grown and have a real relationship with the Father. The same intentional and real relationships that Jesus would’ve had on Earth, we get to have with God! (Which is ONLY made possible through the love of God for us!! Wow!!). To have an intentional/real relationship with the Father you have to act. Just like how Jesus would’ve acted upon his earthly relationships. Unlike what I used to think, it won’t just come naturally with time, you have to actually know God, not just know about him. I encourage anyone reading this to actually spend time getting to know the intimate heart of the Father and his deep love for you! You are his son/daughter- get to know your Father! Be intentional in doing so; go in with a purpose and a why. God sent his one and only son to die for you so that you can enter into a intentional relationship with Him, he will bless the time you spend with Him leaning into that relationship!!!!!
WOW, this cuts away confusion on God and simply, plainly tells us God invites each one to His family with love not condemnation! The intentionality focuses on God’s purpose for us with the character of Jesus. Laura you have grown to another spiritual level – so grateful to God leading you!
Intentionality would be the word that has come to mind most frequently since being with you last week. I observed intentional friendships, conversations, time, worship, prayer, and learning. Your deliberate choices and actions to grow in your relationship with Him and continue to seek HIS wisdom in the word is beautiful.