Intentionality

I often call or text my daughters and ask how they are doing. This is one of the ways I continue to pursue a relationship with them even though they may be married and living in a different state or in college and learning how to be an independent adult. I talked to one of them today, and since I was considering topics for this bulletin article, I asked what has been on her mind lately. Her response was, “Being intentional about my faith.” She also said that she is really thinking about how to be content even when things are difficult and not going her way, but I will save that for another bulletin article…

One of the parables of Jesus that comes to my mind when thinking about being intentional in my faith is the parable of the empty house:

When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

Luke 11:24–26

Intentionality is an ongoing action. It doesn’t result in an event that causes a permanent change. When we decide to become Christians, we start changing the way we live and our behaviors. These actions can be thought of as sweeping our house and putting it in order, and those are good things, but there is much work to do after that. If we do not become intentional about our faith and purposefully fill ourselves up daily with Godly principles, wisdom, prayer, and scripture, when our faith is tested and life becomes difficult, we will revert to our old ways and the unclean spirits will move back into our house as is described in the parable. The intentionality needs to persist, otherwise we will fall back into the world (please read 2 Pet. 2:20-22). Let us all consider how to become more intentional about our faith so that we may not become entangled once again in the things of the world.