On November 25th I wrote about good intentions. I think we all have good intentions of doing something good. I was talking with Jon Sweet yesterday at lunch and among the many various topics we discussed, Intention vs. Direction was one of them that kept me thinking long after we parted ways.
What gets you where you want to go? What gets you from point A to point B? Is it your intentions? Just because you intend to go to Nashville tomorrow does that mean you will be in Nashville tomorrow? If you intend to buy your best friend a Christmas present does that mean your friend will have a present from you under the tree? No, of course not. Just because you intend to do something doesn't mean it's going to happen.
Now, let's go one step further. If you intend on being a good person today, does that mean you will be? If you intend on getting up early to read your bible does that mean you will? If you intend to do the right thing, will you?
The fact is; you aren't getting to Nashville until you start heading that direction. You won't buy your friend a present until you go to the store (or shop on-line). You won't be a good person today if you don't learn how to be one. You won't get up early to read your bible if you don't set your alarm. You won't do the right thing unless you just do it.
The point is that the saying "hell is paved with good intentions" is true. How many people do you know that intend on going to hell? Now, how many people do you know intend on going to Heaven? See, no one wants to go or intends on going to hell. Anyone that believes in heaven intends on going there. But those intentions aren't enough. There must be direction. Just like our trip to Nashville, if we don't start heading down the path to get us where we want to go, we will never get there.
Therein lies the problem many of us have; getting started. We all have or have had intentions of doing something grand in or with our lives. Are there things that you have intended to do with your Christian life and you just haven't done? I know a lot of people that read this blog are over 25 years old. For those people, have you been the Christian that you "intended" on being when you were 15 or 20?
Luckily, this is a situation that is easily fixed. If you aren't heading where you want to go you simply stop, turn around, and start heading the right direction. For some, this will seem like you are actually going backwards and you are right. Here's a funny story to make my point. Some time back, Jon and I were going to Nashville to meet up with Kim and Brooke. We were heading down 321 and hamming it up as we pretty much always do. Out of habit, I took I-75S...to go to Nashville. Those of you who know how to get to Nashville know that I have messed up. We made it about 15 miles when I realized what I did. Well, there isn't a good shortcut to get to I-40W from where I was so my only option was to turn around and go back to 321 where I started and this is what I did. Once I made it back to where I started, I could continue to I-40W. Its the same way with our Christian walk. When we head down the wrong path, we have to return to our first love before we can do anything else for Him (Rev 2:4-6).
Intentions get you no where without adding direction to it. The Devil will make you feel good about yourself because you have such good intentions even though something always seems to get in the way and you didn't accomplish what you intended. He wants to see you fail and the best way to do that is to make you feel OK about not doing what you want because your mindset is "Well, I intended to do that but....(insert excuse here)".
Decide what direction to go and then go.
God loves you and I do too! Merry Christmas
No comments:
Post a Comment