intentional – Harold J. Ballinger

Giving Thoughtfully and with Purpose

It’s easy to ask others for a list of things they want and then buy it. Or it is easy to buy 10 things that were on sale knowing that “We can give these to everyone for Christmas!” I know this because this is how we most times approach giving birthday or Christmss gifts. Our loved ones end up with good gifts and things they wanted. We aren’t bad people for our pragmatic and readonable approach to gift giving.

But some people are clearly thoughtful and purposeful with their gift giving. One year at Christmas, the relatively new girlfriend of a family member bought and made us all such thoughtful and purposeful gifts that it was an amazing display of love. It wasn’t that she spent an enormous amount of money, but that she clearly thought about “What would be the most meaningful gift for each person?” It was such a lovely and touching gesture that I still remember it years later every time that I see her at family events.

As a Christian, this is how I know that I am called to give — not just of gifts at Christmas and birthdays — not just of an obligatory tithe — not just of occasional service to my church and community — but of my life every day purposefully and intentionally. And when I say it like that, it immediately sounds like a burden, an obligation, a heavy weight that I clearly have been failing to live up to. It begins to sound that “whatever we know to do and don’t do it is sin”. And yes, it is falling short of the mark of perfection that should clearly distinguish His people from the rest of the world. It is my weakness on display instead of His glory.

So how does this change? Do I just need to try harder?

That isn’t The Way.

The Way starts with remembering Jesus. Remembering His body broken and His blood shed for us. Remembering that we have so much to be grateful for. Remembering that we are not powerless in our weaknesses but strong in His spirit. Remembering that we are to cry out to our Abba Father, confess and repent from our shortcomings, surrender our lives, see Christ alive in us and through us each day.

This call reminds us that we need daily bread that comes from Him, and that steam of fresh living water to nourish us today. We need Him to do the miraculous work through us to change our child, stony hearts and replace them with hearts that truly live and truly love.

Lord help us to see Your Love, to believe the gospel close and personally, to know the power of your touch, and to love and give off ourselves purposefully, intentionally and joyfully. Amen.

‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:7‬ ‭AMP‬
[7] Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

https://bible.com/bible/1588/2co.9.7.AMP

Safety or Danger

I learned about Mark Wahlberg’s daily schedule last night and began rethinking my own, so I read my chapters for today before bed and “slept on it” instead of reading it first thing. I took an intentional step last night to better prepare me for the day ahead — just like establishing and implementing a plan for exercise (both physical and spiritual) will better prepare me for the days ahead.

Associated Reading:

Genesis 6

Psalm 6

Joshua 6

As I read Genesis 6, Psalm 6, and Joshua 6 last night, I found Noah finding safety from the world in his task of building the Ark, and David finding mercy in a time of trouble through prayer, and Rahab finding safety when Jericho fell because of her choosing to help the people of Israel — and this was a stark contrast to the depravity of mankind to be destroyed in the flood, the enemies who will turn back ashamed and horrified at what they have done to David, and the city of Jericho and everything in it utterly destroyed as a tribute to the Lord.

There was a clear contrast in each reading between what led these intentionally into safety, while others continued on unmodified towards their own destruction. And there is the same for us today.

Benjamin Franklin put this wisdom into easily accessible and non- religious words when he said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” And we also have some great quotable that we can pull from scripture about planning, about being intentional, and for aligning our purpose with God’s will:

Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

We are choosing today to intentionally receive this word into our minds to be written upon our hearts. We ask our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who prays on our behalf at the right hand of God the Father, that our purpose and plan would established one step at a time in His will and His purpose. In that, we find safety not damger, and mercy not shame, and deliverance not destruction. We are no better than Noah the drunk, David the adulterous murderer, or Rahab the prostitute in our own sinfulness, so we rely upon the mercies, grace and blessings of the Lord just as they have. And just as they are no longer called drunk, murderer, and whore neither are we. By His blood and through the faith we have been granted, we are children of God. Safe in our Heavenly Father’s arms. Amen.