Many of us have goals and dreams that we would like to accomplish, but how many of us make those dreams a reality by taking action and bringing them to pass? Our intentions say "Hey, I wanna do this" or "I intend on doing that" but if we do not make steps toward these intentions then they mean absolutely nothing. My pastor has often said that "The pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions". Procrastinating where your faith is concerned and allowing things to distract you will knock you off of the path to success. Of course, many are familiar with the saying "Failing to plan is planning to fail" which is so true especially when concerning decisions that will improve your way of life. We must plan and prioritize for our future.
How do our intentions relate to our relationships with others? Well, anyone that has children or nieces and nephews should know that if we intend on doing something for them, then we should do it. Time passes so fast these days and children grow up so very quickly. When a parent or guardian promises something to a child and does not deliver on that promise the child can remember that broken agreement for years to come. The excuse of "I intended to do it" does not work. You have let the child down and must redeem yourself with them. Otherwise, to that child the hurt remains and depending on the extent of the situation it can take a while to heal. So, let's fast forward to adulthood and dating/marriage. Men. Would you dare promise your wife something and not deliver? Not if you want to keep your relationship happy. A woman does not want to be lied to and neither should you be okay with letting her down. Likewise, ladies do not promise something great to your husband and default on the promise.
So, how many promises do we have stacked up in our good intentions file? I once had a friend tell me that they had intended on calling me, but I never got the call. What if I had been going through something stressful and needed encouragement? Okay, so your heart was in the right place, so what? Please stop saying that. What good is that going to do if they never knew that you were thinking of them. Speak up! These types of situations should never be, especially for those of the household of faith. So, whatever the "intention" be it a phone call, a gift, a meeting or whatever, be sure to act on it because you never know who you could have blessed by doing so.
Are we using "good intentions" with God? Do we intend on reading our Bibles? Or intend on praying, fasting, serving at church etc...? Are we being lazy with our faith? "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." Proverbs 13:4 What if Jesus only had good intentions and only thought about dying for our sins, but never did so? We would all be heading straight to Hell right now with no hope in sight. So, we must do more that just have good intentions with our faith. Start practicing on your faith now. Even if you start small that is okay. One verse of scripture per day is a great place to start. You will add more as you continue to grow. Pray about the church that you should attend. When you get rooted and grounded in a good church it is a great foundation that you can use to build your life upon. The church has a ministry area for you. Pray and ask God where you can be used and how you can be a blessing to others. Pray that TODAY. Do not wait. You do not know how much longer you will have a chance to ask that question. The talents that he gives you are for the benefit of the kingdom of God. Plus, you will be closer to the will of God for your life.
Do not take good intentions to the gates of heaven, if so do not be surprised if you're asked to take those intentions to the gates of Hell. I'm not trying to scare anyone, I'm just saying that it is time to stop playing around with your purpose in life. By having only good intentions you are hurting others with misleading expectations and you are operating in selfishness by not thinking of your brother or sister. Besides, you would not want anyone to break promises toward you. We must have works along with our faith, otherwise it is dead. "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? " James 2:20
First, I thank GOD for using you to be a blessing to me through this particular blog. Next, thank you for writing and elaborating on such an anointed and inspiring column. I want to share how this article has helped me to step out in faith and bless someone else. The LORD placed in my heart to do a good deed for a specific person. So, I started making preparations in order to fulfill this assignment. Along the way, I became more focused on my own responsibilities rather than giving some attention to the good deed and completing it. As time passed, I thought, "I'm not going to do it" (which was an excuse that I came up with because "I'm so busy with other things"). Then, one day as I was doing a search I eventually came across this post which I read. It immediately ministered to me and got my attention. After
ReplyDeleteAfter reflecting on what the LORD had said to me through this article, I finished the task that I originally planned, Once again, I sincerely thank you for the Godly wisdom and advice you have assisted me with in this post.
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