INTENTIONALITY

Webster’s 1828 American dictionary defines the word “intention” as follows:



“Primarily, a stretching or bending of the mind towards an object; hence, uncommon exertion of the intellectual faculties; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness. Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness and of choice, fixes its view on any idea, considers it on every side, and will not be called off by the ordinary solicitation of other ideas.”


Typically, people are very intentional in many areas of life. Good athletes are intentional about the activities that will make them faster and stronger, leading to improved performance. A good business owner is intentional about building the brand of the business, in hope of attracting her target market. Good teachers are intentional when preparing their lesson plans; in order to assure that the educational objective is accomplished.


In everyday life, we are intentional about eating, brushing our teeth, exercising, going to church, driving our cars. Now you may be thinking that these things don’t require much “intentionality” – these are more like habits. That may be so, but think about when you first learned to drive, Isn’t it true that you had to “bend your mind” toward the task, concentrate, and really apply yourself? I certainly hope so!


I have been thinking about how critical intentionality is in the life of a believer, and how often I fail to be so. Sometimes I am very unintentional about the disciplines and practices that will better equip me to run the race set before me. No runner can expect to perform well come race time if they have not been extremely intentional in training, and I believe this to be true of the Christian life as well.


Look with me again to Webster’s definition. For the believer, Intention is primarily the “bending of the mind” towards God. It’s probably just me, but I find that sometimes my mind is less bent toward God than at others. More about why that is so later.


This bending of the mind leads to “uncommon exercise of the intellectual faculties”. One of the many hazards of life in 2011 is that the pace of life leaves us little time to think – really think. If my mind is truly bent toward God, I want to hear what he has to say and I incline my ear toward Him and his message. Then, having heard His message, I must apply my intellectual capacities in an uncommon way, by thinking about what his word communicates to me, rolling it over and over in my mind. I should think about how it applies in my marriage, in my work, and in my relationships. When I read the newspaper, I must read through the lens of scripture, and think about the news of the day with a mind informed by the divinely inspired word of God.


When I do this my life will be characterized by “closeness of application”, which implies considered action; “fixedness of attention” (focus); and earnestness (as Webster defines it: “ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain.”).


I know that I am intentional about my walk with Christ when the primary bent of my mind is toward God, and I choose to fix my eyes on Him, considering every aspect of His character and nature as it is revealed to me in scripture. I am intentional when I refuse to be called off by the “ordinary solicitation of other ideas.” Therein lays the great challenge…


“The ordinary solicitation of other ideas.” Each day of my life I am bombarded by “other ideas”. These are the false truth claims of the world – and are so ubiquitous that they begin to seem ordinary. I am exposed these ideas from the time I wake in the morning to when I fall asleep at night. These ideas can be found across a broad spectrum - from the advertising that attempts to convince me that my identity is somehow related to the kind of car I drive or the clothes I wear, to the news media that presents the demands of homosexual “rights” groups in a way that seems logical and worthy of empathy. I must be very careful that this constant barrage of other ideas does not bend my mind away from God and toward the world, “for everything in the world-- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world.” (I Jn 2:16)


Although I recognize the need for intentionality in my life, I know that this does not happen as a mere act of the will. It is dependent not upon my level of self discipline, but upon the grace of God who has given me everything I need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3).

As I write these words, the sun is beginning to rise, and my mind is bent toward God.


May it remain so…


In Christ –


John


Soli Deo Gloria

THE WISDOM OF MANY COUNSELORS

In his book The E-Myth, Michael Gerber tells the tale of the small business owner – an entrepreneur who is skilled in a particular area – Gerber refers to this person as the “technician”. One day the technician says, “You know, I’m pretty good at this. I should start my own company.” Gerber’s book is all about the challenge of making the transition from being someone who works IN the business (technician) to someone who works ON the business (owner). And what a challenge it is!

Almost 30 years ago, the Lord led me out of my chosen career as a high school teacher and coach and into the world of the small business owner. Thanks to God’s divine providence, I was recruited into the insurance and financial services business by someone I had known in college. On September 1, 1981 I found myself opening the doors of an insurance agency in Aliquippa, PA.

It took a little while to make the transition, but over time, I discovered that I was a pretty good technician. Back then, that was enough. The environment has changed dramatically over the last three decades, and I have discovered – a bit late, I admit – that I need help as an owner.

Pride is a huge stumbling block – it is for many, if not most people. In retrospect I realize that my pride has tripped me up many times over my lifetime. In business, it manifested in my unwillingness to ask for help, or even acknowledge to myself that I needed help! I could figure things out on my own. My way was the best way.

God has, over the years, made has me a more humble and submissive man. This is still very much a work in progress. The process involves some pride-induced pain from the mistakes that I make, a greater awareness of who I am in my relationship to God, and most importantly, a greater awareness of God and his character and nature.

A few months ago, I said “Yes” to something that, just a few years ago, my pride would have caused me to emphatically decline. I was offered the opportunity to have a team of people come into my office on three separate occasions to observe our business operation. The intent was to analyze strengths, weaknesses, the people who work for me, our facility, and knowledge level. I consented to the offer because I can now freely and humbly admit that I need help, and that God’s word is, once again found to be true – “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”  (Proverbs 15:22)

I have great appreciation for this team helping me become a better owner. One is a great leader and an excellent trainer who brings genuine enthusiasm to all he does. Another is an outstanding analyst with an eye for detail and an ability to make complicated matters understandable. Another is also an outstanding trainer, equipped with the patience of Job,        and a mind boggling storehouse of knowledge regarding computer applications, company programs, and marketing. These three work in the field, and they are supported by the fourth person of the team – a kind person with a servant’s heart who takes care of all the behind the scene details that enable the others to do their work well.

I respect each of these individuals, and I know that they are a part of my life as a result of God’s sovereign plan for my life - and theirs as well. They have much to offer, and I pray that I will heed the counsel of God’s word – “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” (Proverbs 19:20)

May it be so…

In Christ –

John

Soli Deo Gloria

THE EYE OF GOD - THE IGNORANCE OF MAN

You have all received them. They usually end with a plea or a promise – “Please don’t break this one”, or “Send this to 10 people you care about, and you will receive your miracle in three days!” I refer to the ubiquitous “chain e mails” that arrive in my in box, often sent by a well-meaning friend, sometimes by a total stranger.

The latest of these was sent to me by a friend from church. He forwarded the e mail to me not because he believes that there is any validity to them, but because he knows how I feel about them. I believe these are an affront to God.

The subject line of this communication reads “NASA Photo...DON'T DELETE!”. The text of the e mail is as follows:

Dear All:

This photo is a very rare one, taken by NASA.  This kind of event occurs once in 3000 years. This photo has done miracles in many lives. Make a wish ... you have looked at the eye of God. Surely you will see the changes in your life within a day!

Whether you believe it or not, don't keep this mail with you. Pass this at least to 7 persons. This is a picture NASA took with the Hubbell telescope.

Called 'The Eye of God..'

Too awesome to delete.   It is worth sharing.

During the next 60 seconds, Stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity.

(Literally it is only One minute!)

Just send this to people and see what happens. Do not break this, please. 

Interesting, isn’t it? This e mail contains both a plea (“Do not break this, please.”) and a promise (Surely you will see the changes in your life within a day!). It also contains a few inaccuracies.

The picture began circulating in 2003, and the plea/promise can be traced back to 2005. The picture, as “awesome” as it is, is of the Helix Nebula, and is actually a composite image formed from several photographs taken by the Hubbell Telescope and a land-based telescope in Tucson, Arizona. The tinting of the picture is artificial, and the nebula is always visible, not once every 3,000 years. (See SNOPES.COM )

The truth is – God has no eyes. Nor does he have ears, a mouth, hands, or feet. God is a spirit (John 4:24), without body parts. Scripture refers to God using these terms, but these are “anthropomorphisms” – the attribution of human form or behavior to God. The eyes of God, as well as the "seven eyes" of the Lamb (Rev 5:6) and the `many eyes' of the four living creatures of the Apocalypse (Rev 4:6; also Ezek 1:18; 10:12) are figurative expressions for the omniscience of God (compare Heb 4:13; Ps 139:16) and of His watchfulness and loving care (Jer 32:19). As the human eye may, with the slightest glance or motion, give an indication, a command, so God is able to "guide" or "counsel" His obedient child "with his eye" (Ps 32:8).¹

Let’s suppose for a moment that we really could look into the eye of God. How would we react? “Hey, honey! Come here! You’ve got to see this!” Or “Hold still – I’ve got to get a picture so I can send it to everyone on my e mail list.” Or “I’m going to put this on Facebook!” I don’t think so. When the prophet Isaiah gazed upon the face of God, he became acutely aware of his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of the culture in which he lived. (Isaiah 6:1-5) His view of God caused him to find a level of humility he had never known before.

Now I know that some of you are thinking “Lighten up, man! It’s just an e mail!” It’s not. It’s representative of the countless ways in which the world subtly diminishes man’s view of God. God himself cannot be diminished, but man’s view of him certainly can – and our culture is paying the price. 

Our God is an awesome God. He should be treated as such.

May it be so…

In Christ  -

John

P.S. Did you notice that the e mail referenced above reads “This photo has done miracles in many lives.”? Not God – this photo.

¹From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright (C) 1996 by Biblesoft)

What is God? God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. (Westminster Confession Shorter Catechism, Question 4)

WEIGHED DOWN

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb 12:1)



One of most physically challenging jobs I have ever done is installing a new roof on our first home in July of 1979. I was 29 at the time and doing quite a bit of running, so I was in pretty decent condition – but I still found the job taxing. Every morning for a couple of weeks, I would start in the morning, work on the roof all day, then go out for my daily run at the end of the day.


Several aspects of that work were difficult, but the part that I remember most was carrying the bundles of shingles up a ladder to get them onto the roof. A bundle of shingles weighs 50 to 60 pounds, and I would sling the bundle over one shoulder and climb up the fully extended ladder using one free hand. It was quite a workout, and by the end of the day, my legs were “dead”, yet I still went for my daily run. My legs felt like I was still carrying the bundle of shingles, and had it been a race, I would not have fared well.


Lately I have been feeling the same way mentally and spiritually…


The word translated “hinders” in Hebrews 12:1 means “a burden or a weight”. I suppose everyone from time to time goes through a period when they are weighed down and overwhelmed, and this could be from a variety of causes. Maybe it’s a personal or family member illness, too many kids' activities to run to, or the result of saying “yes” to too many projects.


For me, at this particular time – it’s my work. Now this isn’t a constant state of affairs, but right now I feel as though I am walking around with a 50 pound weight in each hand! It seems like there is too much to do in too little time (because there is). There are memos, company publications and industry articles to read. Then there are new products and processes to learn, technologies to apply, Facebook, and Twitter! There’s company software that “acts up” on a regular basis, a team to manage, and client meetings the client forgets to attend. What has been hindering me and weighing me down is not one big thing, but more like a hundred little things bundled together in one. I have been frustrated, anxious, and uncharacteristically unfocused.


My guess is that you can relate. In fact, you may be weighed down by a far greater burden.


Some burdens are laid upon us, and some we bring upon ourselves. Regardless, none of us is able to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” very well when we are hindered and weighed down. So what are we to do?


This morning I was drawn to the scripture referenced above, and then to the chapter that precedes it. Hebrews Chapter 11 – the “by faith” chapter – tells us of the great “cloud of witnesses” who carried a far heavier load than I could even imagine. How did they do it? By faith!


I realize now that I have made the same mistake that I have made far too many times – I have been relying on my own strength and competencies, instead of relying on God. My faith has been in ME, not in the Lord! My pride and self-sufficiency did me in again! Silly, isn’t it?


Scripture instructs us to “cast off” or “lay aside” our burdens, but where do we lay them? The answer is found in 1 Peter 5:7 – we are to cast them upon him, the all powerful everlasting God.


I feel better today – the burden seems lighter, and yet not a thing has changed in my world. All of the challenges I was “crying” about just a few paragraphs back are still there. In fact, I’m pretty sure that as I write, something else is developing. What is different today is who carries them. Today, I am humble before Him, recognizing my weakness and his strength. Today, I have cast all my anxieties upon him.


The next challenge? To leave them there.


May it be so…


In Christ –


John