The topic of being intentional has been on my heart and mind for quite some time now, and after beginning to read through the book of Romans this morning I have decided to blog on it. When I think about being intentional, I think about my high school senior British Literature class. My instructor, Dr. Felps, taught on novels and literature of course but almost even more so about being intentional. She made sure to express the idea that every person makes choices. We have free will. We have opportunity. We have the chance to be intentional. I remember one class specifically when Dr. Felps asked us how we want to be remembered after we die. Some people in the class found this an odd question while others saw the life in the question about death. To me, I didn't think of it as a question focused on death but rather one centered on how I would choose to live. We then had an assignment: to draw our tombstone. Many British poets and authors left memorable quotes on their tombstone. The assignment was one of my favorites because it really made me stop and think about how I want to live and how I want to be remembered. I want to be selfless. I want to touch others' lives. I want to live in love. Most importantly, I want to be intentional. It's so important and I also think it is a reflection of the Creator, for He chose us. This morning in Romans I read, '
God presented Him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-he did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus'. The Lord chose to love His people, first the Jews and then the Gentiles, so that all may be saved by grace through faith. We are His people, called to love and live as Christ did-and does! There are times when I want to love, but there are just as many if not more times when I do not want to love. Thinking on the Lord's love and asking Jesus to live through me is what helps me to be intentional during the times when I do not want to be. The Lord wants us to be intentional all the time because that is in His character. He is love!
