Be Intentional

Accomplishments are not accidents. That is especially true during the holiday season. There is food to be cooked, gifts to be bought and people to be visited. There is no way it’s all going to happen if we are not intentional.

Let’s be honest. The Black Friday ads came out and many of us sat down with our highlighters, GPS and gift lists, and began to map out our strategy. We set the alarm clock to “Stupid Early”, the coffee pot to “Strong” and we hit the ground running. Be at the Electronics Store at 1:00 am, the Department Store at 1:45 am, the Clothing Store at 2:15 am and the Toy Store before 3.

We are just getting started!

The menu must include all of the traditional favorites and then incorporate a few new items for the season that you saw on Pinterest. The ingredients list must be carefully planned and written in a way that affords the most efficient course through the grocery store. Don’t forget to include extra disposable pans and enough plastic wrap to handle all of the goodies that will be given as gifts.

What about the parties? Everyone get their calendar out and let’s plan our strategy. There is the office party, the neighborhood party, the school party and the church party. We can’t forget about the new event that the community added this year that everyone will be attending and at which you must make an appearance. There are so many events and people that it might take an air traffic controller to navigate them all.

Life does not just happen. We will never experience the best by just floating along and hoping that the currents of life carry us to our desired destination. We must be intentional especially in some key areas.

We want the best for our family, so as parents, we must be intentional. Parenting is not something that just happens. Our kids will not mature into the young men and young ladies we desire them to be and experience their best in life unless we as parents guide them to that goal. The way we discipline, teach, and encourage them must all be filtered through a purpose and plan. If not, we can pretty much be assured that our kids will drift through life with no sense of purpose, direction, or value. We must parent with purpose. Be intentional.

We want the best in our marriage, so as a husband or wife, we must be intentional. Marriage is hard work. To be the best husband or wife you can be takes planning and effort. Great marriages do not just happen, they are intentionally crafted by a man and a woman who truly desire the best in their relationship and who are willing to put forth the effort to make sure they achieve that goal. From planning date nights, to sharing responsibilities, being forgiving and learning the fine art of compromise; happy, healthy marriages don’t just happen. Be intentional.

If we want the best in our friendships, we must be intentional. You have probably heard it said that in order to have friends you must “be a friend” and that is true. We tend to attract the kind of relationships we display. All of the qualities we want in a friend, loyalty, honesty, trustworthiness, caring, kindness, faithfulness, must be displayed in our life in order to attract friends with those same qualities. We want friends who consistently display the character qualities we desire in our friendships and we must make sure that we are displaying those same qualities as well. Be intentional.

And what about our relationship with God? We want it to be the best it can be and that means being intentional. Often times in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, God gets our leftovers. And while some leftover turkey on a leftover roll may be a delicious late night snack, God wants us to give Him our best. That is going to take some planning and effort. God can’t just be an afterthought or just another holiday tradition. We must make Him the centerpiece of our celebrations. After all, He is the reason for the holiday season. Be intentional.

When it comes to being intentional, God gives us an amazing example. God the Father gave us the greatest gift of all through His Son, Jesus. And it was not just a gift He stopped by the Dollar Store to pick up on the way to the party. This gift was planned before the beginning of time. This gift was carefully prepared, beautifully crafted, and lovingly given. The Prophets of old foretold His arrival. The wise scholars of the day excitedly searched for Him. The lowly shepherds nearby were ecstatic when they heard of Him. Today we can receive this gift and experience the best that God has to offer, because this gift was carefully chosen just for you. This gift is designed to meet you right where you are and fulfill all your needs. This gift, Jesus, was intentionally given so that the whole world can fully experience God’s best both now and for eternity.

No, accomplishments are not accidents. We will never experience the best in our family, marriage, friendships, or relationship with God on accident. We must be intentional. Maybe this year your gift to those you love will be the gift of being intentional. It is a gift that always fits and will never be returned to the store. It will cherish forever.