Did You Do That on Purpose?!

“Yeah, I’m hoping to get that done by Thursday.”

“I want to have that out by next month.”

“My plan is to start that as soon as possible.”

“As soon as everything falls into place, we’ll be ready to go.”

Do these phrases sound familiar to you? When we make these kind of statements, we aren’t intending them to be “put it off”, but proactive. “I need to do that, but . . . ” is considered procrastination, while “I’m going to do this . . . ” sounds pro-active. Looking through this filter proves there can be a very fine line between procrastination and pro-activity. The difference can come down to something as small and simple as our motives.

Check out Psalm 103:2-6a in The Message:

He forgives your sins—every one.

He heals your diseases—every one.

He redeems you from hell—saves your life!

He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.

He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.

He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

God makes everything come out right . . .

God never intends to do anything. He either does something or doesn’t. He always follows through. God won’t forgive halfway, love just a little, get something almost finished, or forget to bless you. With God, He’s all or none, but always intentional! Everything is on purpose. The Scripture passage today is written with both intention and intensity about His heart for us.

What if my day were more intentional? What if I decided to do or not do certain things, rather than allow circumstances or the wrong feelings to guide my actions? What if my yes meant yes and my no a no—always?

How intentional are you? How do you size up what you plan versus what you perform? Try this for the next several days. Evaluate your day and what you accomplish against what you plan. If things change, was it because God intervened or because you made a choice to avoid something or a choice to pursue something different?

Living a life of integrity means growing in consistency and clarity. Lining up intention with action. The more the hand of God guides our steps, the steadier we will walk!