March 22, 2024

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.

About John Seibel

John Seibel was born in ND and attended the Bismarck church of Christ after being converted in 1981. After graduating from high school in Bismarck he attended Harding University for 2 years where he met his wife, Christy. From Harding he transferred to the University of TN in Knoxville in 1989 and finished his electrical engineering degree. He and Christy were married in 1990 and started attending the Karns church of Christ in 1991. They have 4 daughters, including a set of twins. All of their daughters either graduated from or are currently attending Freed-Hardeman University. Their oldest daughter, Lindsey, and her husband, Justin Porter, live in Little River, Kansas, where they attend both the Lyons church of Christ and the McPherson church of Christ where Justin preaches and teaches part time and Lindsey is a nurse at a local hospital. Their middle daughter, Mary Beth, and her husband, KJ Moore, live in Katy, TX, and attend the Katy church of Christ where KJ is the associate minister and Mary Beth is in graduate school at Faulkner University. Their twins, Emily and Jeanne, are currently sophomores at Freed-Hardeman University. John has been a working member of the Karns body since 1991. He has actively supported the education program by teaching elementary and middle school classes, and was a helper to Christy in the pre-school program teaching the cradle roll and 2’s classes for many years. He and Christy have also coordinated and run the story room for VBS and Forever His. He has worked in the sound room, supported mission trips to Honduras and St. Croix, chaperoned countless youth retreats and events, coordinated the communion program, and prior to becoming an elder, was the deacon over the women’s programs at Karns.