intentional living – Refining [Spiritual Growth]

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45 NIV)

Happy sunny May Day! Despite the fact we were not blessed with April showers, God’s beauty is showing up with May flowers. It has been refreshing to finally return to daily walks and see people out maintaining yards. Tree branches lined the curbs and lawn mowers were all the buzz around the perimeter of the park today.

We have even spent a few weekends pulling weeds, designing a stone path, and planting a garden. Yard maintenance requires work and a strategy. There is no doubt about it. It always requires physical labor. Pulling weeds is my least favorite task.

But, guess what? God has a maintenance plan too! That’s right. He developed it to maintain His property as well. In Proverbs 4 we discover this property is YOU and YOUR BODY! Yes. You are God’s equipment designed to carry out His work and you are His estate. Nope, your body is not yours to do whatever you please. OUCH! Why not? “You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So, use your body to honor God” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 CEV). As a matter of fact, your body is the temple of God, where the Holy Spirit abides. Therefore, God has a workout plan to ensure He will be honored.

Most of us love the verse Proverbs 4:23 where the Lord reminds us to guard our heart because everything flows from it. However, do we really know what that requires? You got it–a total body workout. So, let’s take a look at the steps involved to strengthen our heart for the Lord.

Workout
Eyes	Be aware of your visual intake. Focus your eyes on wisdom. Read God’s Word. Embrace a path of brightness.
Ears	Incline your ears to consume only God. Listen to God’s voice/calling. Place yourself in God’s presence. Flee from enticing words from the enemy.
Mouth	Talk less, listen more. Use your mouth for good. Guard your lips from unhealthy chatter and evil words. Let your words affirm God’s goodness.
Mind	Pay attention to all parts of the body. Keep everything under God’s authority. Place your attention on Godly living. Keep God’s commandments. Don’t allow your thoughts to waiver into the darkness.
Feet	Keep on the pathway of light. Avoid the wicked road. Be careful where you go. Know the direction in which you are going.
Heart	Store up goodness. Apply Godly wisdom to your circulation. Keep God’s word in your heart. Be aware–the health of the eyes, ears, mouth, mind, and feet will impact the heart.

Intentional Living Workout Plan

Let us be mindful of what we allow to penetrate our hearts. Psalm 51:10. Happy Workout my friend!

Do you have a new car? I am blessed to experience driving newer vehicles due to my job. The rental car agency has outstanding service and quite the variety of vehicles. I am always intrigued by what I might drive from week to week. Most of the vehicles have bells and whistles that my trusty, paid for ride lacks. Yes, occasionally a manual would come in handy. (Seriously, who puts the gas tank release on the door panel?)

Recently, I have found myself in Nissans. Each one has proven to be a smooth ride with a roomy interior. The heated seats have definitely been an added plus on those chilly mornings when I leave before the rooster crows. Most have had the ability to control the speed and distance on the highway with respect to the vehicle ahead of me. But let’s talk about the lane departure assistance.

The lane departure warning does provide an alert if the vehicle leaves the traveling lane. The steering wheel vibrates, an audio alert occurs, and a visual appears at the slightest detection of crossing over your traveling lane. What a super feature when you aren’t driving in construction zones. After several hours of the feature, I truly wanted to disengage it.

This experience brought to mind Galatians 5. Paul highly encourages us to stay in the right lane when walking out our freedom. It is a battle to keep from crossing over into the sinful nature lane of life. The struggle is real for each of us. Galatians 5:24 says that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Denying the acts of our sinful nature requires devoted, intentional living.

Galatians 5:25 reminds us that the Holy Spirit is in us guiding our lives but we have to stay in the same traveling lane as the Spirit. This is how we find life in the Spirit, a gift from God just like freedom in Christ Jesus. We have to rely on the Spirit to define our traveling lane and speed. It requires discipline and attentiveness to his alerts.

For me personally, I cannot fulfill God’s will without living by the Spirit. I rely on the Holy Spirit to work in me and through me to exhibit pleasing fruit. It is through the mighty power of the Spirit that I have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When I try to live life my way and revert to my sinful nature, I find myself off track and definitely in danger of destruction.

I cannot disengage the lane departure warning the Holy Spirit gives me. I must stay in tune to the sound of his voice, “Stay in the right lane!” What about you?

Tag: intentional living

God’s Workout Plan

Stay in the right lane