In the Small Group (aka Sunday School) class I teach at my church, we have been studying a book entitled “Let the Men Be Men: God’s Design for Manhood and Marriage” by Chris Mueller. I won’t quote from the book, other than to say that the author lists eight areas where men are to live and lead biblically. These include leadership, maturity, sensibility, soundness of speech, and so forth. As I’ve shared with the men in my group, these are not individual goals, but intertwined qualities of a man striving to live in accordance with God’s Word. The text comes from Titus 2:6-8a.
“Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach…”
As I prepared the lesson this week, I was reminded that this behavior does not come naturally. In our fallen human state, our default is not to be the best we can be for Christ’s kingdom. Too often it’s to do less, and sometimes as little as possible. As men, our natural inclination is to do what we want to do, to do things our way, and to do whatever we do for selfish motives. That’s not an indictment of you or all men, but certainly is true in my case.
If we are to stay in the fight (and it is a fight), we cannot simply sit around and hope that we become better men. We must be intentional. “Intentional.” I love that word. I use it a lot. And I do try to live intentionally. I set goals, make plans, and strive to live my life in a focused and ordered manner. I think that’s important. The problem is that I am woefully inconsistent in my efforts. Too often, I am passive, lazy, unfocused, and selfish. So, if you’re looking for someone who lives out these qualities without fail, and can show you how to do the same, then you’re reading the wrong blog site. But if you’re willing to read the thoughts of a follower of Christ who desires to do better, to confess my shortcomings, and wants to walk as Christ would have me to walk, I’m your guy.
With the admission that I am a work in progress, let’s talk about intentionality. It’s important to acknowledge that nothing of value is ever accomplished in our life, or for Christ’s kingdom by accident. That includes confessing that any good that I do is due to Christ’s work in me and not of my own strength. However, I must participate in the process, by allowing the Holy Spirit to equip and use me. And He doesn’t do so if I’m content to lollygag around and not do what I am capable of doing.
Here are a few thoughts regarding intentionality. I’ve listed these numerically for simplicity’s sake. We must:
- Consider what it is that we want to accomplish. What is our desire or goal? We have to start somewhere.
- Evaluate that desire in the context of God’s Word. Is it something that Scripture teaches or allows?
- Pray for God’s leadership and direction. This is critical, and where I too often drop the ball. Repeat this step often.
- Develop a plan or strategy (knowing it may change as we go forward). Saying, “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it” is not a strategy. List some steps. They may change, but we must write something down.
- Take those first steps, as determined by our plan. We can’t become a victim of “paralysis by analysis.”
- Monitor our progress and our adherence to God’s will. Is it still the plan we prayed over?
- Continue to move forward until God changes our direction. Don’t assume the door is closed. If God desires, he’ll close it so tightly we can’t open it. (This assumes we are continually repeating Step 3.)
- Be aware of our actions on those around us. We don’t live in a vacuum or alone on an island. We can’t be selfishly driven to accomplish our goals at the expense of others, especially our families. It’s not about us.
- Don’t ignore problems, roadblocks, etc. These may be God’s way of changing our course, or they may only be obstacles to overcome. Prayerfully consider each challenge and take appropriate action.
- Don’t let discouragement or obstacles derail us. We should expect criticism, hardship, and unforeseen challenges. Remember, if Nehemiah had listened to his critics, the wall would never have been built.
I realize that life doesn’t operate within a checklist like the one I’ve given here. It gets messy, confusing, discouraging, and downright hard. But that’s exactly why we need to be intentional, and why we need to follow a process, for lack of a better word. What I’ve written here is not a template, but rather a few thoughts on how to begin, how to sustain, and how to keep moving forward. Feel free to add to, to modify as needed, and to delete.
What suggestions would you make? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below on our Facebook page.
Be intentional, and be blessed.