Family,

We have been talking with our students on Wednesday night about being intentional in their faith. It is something that has been on my heart for several months now and it has been changing my mindset and actions on a daily basis. When I first began thinking on "being intentional" it seemed to feel a lot like "WWJD?" It certainly has some aspects that are similar (constant reminder of the Spirit's presence in your life, thinking about your actions constantly) but I think it's different than that also.

The WWJD? model seemed to only come into my mind when a difficult or awkward situation would come into my life. For instance, when it came to tithing I would tithe because that is what Jesus would do. Or like when I would struggle my way through a morning devotional because I knew that is what Jesus would do. It's as if I only reverted to WWJD? after the fact. I would do it begrudingly.

Being intentional to me is different. It's about wanting to see a change in the world so bad that everything you do meets that goal. It means being prepared for every situation before it happens, not seeking to figure out what Jesus would do after your already in the moment.

Hugh Halter explains it like this in The Tangible Kingdom:

“When I walk into Starbucks, I don’t think about coffee. That’s predetermined…tall black Americano. I ponder the lives of everyone I see. I wonder about their spiritual journeys, their highs, their lows…and where they look for direction in their search. My initial assumption is that in any room full of people, very few know Christ. I ask myself how I could get into their lives or how a conversation might begin. I don’t see them as projects --- that wouldn’t go very far. I see them as souls the Lord loves who simply haven’t seen or heard an accurate message about the Kingdom. I always feel confident that I may one be talking with them about life and God.”

My prayer is that we approach life with this mindset, as partners with Christ, to bring the Kingdom to this earth.

 Let's be prepared for the Kingdom at every turn!

Casey