Tag: Intentionality

  • One Compass. One Master. Choose Wisely.

    One Compass. One Master. Choose Wisely.

    Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) is one of those verses that doesn’t leave much room for nuance:

    “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

    Jesus didn’t say it would be difficult to serve two masters.

    He said it would be impossible.

    We like to believe we can juggle both—church on Sunday, compromise on Monday. A foot in the Spirit and a foot in the world. But that’s not how loyalty works.

    Every heart has a compass, and it only points in one direction at a time. North toward Christ—or South toward compromise. East toward comfort—or West toward culture. You may claim both, but your choices reveal the truth.

    This is not a warning to the lost.

    This is a wake-up call to the churched.

    Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) hits like a gut punch:

    “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

    Not lost.

    Left.

    That implies direction.

    Movement.

    Intent.

    We didn’t just wander off like spiritual toddlers. We shifted our loyalty—sometimes slowly, sometimes boldly—but always intentionally.

    Because living for God must be done with intentionality.

    We want the peace of God without the discipline of following Him.

    We post Scripture on our socials while bingeing filth on our screens.

    We lift our hands in worship, then tear people down with gossip.

    We cry out for direction but ignore the Word already given.

    Then, after all that, we wonder why we feel spiritually dry, directionless, and disillusioned.

    James 1:6–8 (NKJV) names the problem:

    “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

    A double-minded man.

    One foot in, one foot out.

    Always teetering between two worlds.

    It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in church or what your last spiritual high felt like, if your direction isn’t fixed on Christ, your foundation is already cracking.

    And that brings us to Ephesians 3:16–17 (NKJV):

    “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love…”

    Discipleship is not about feelings. It’s not about hype. It’s about direction—and foundation. Where are your feet pointed? And what is your heart rooted in?

    If Christ truly dwells in you, there should be evidence. There should be strength in your inner man. There should be spiritual grounding that holds fast when the winds of doubt, culture, or temptation blow. But if you’re divided—if you’re attempting to serve two masters—then instability will follow you like a shadow.

    Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) offers both a promise and a choice:

    “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

    That’s the direction. That’s North. But it’s not automatic. That path has to be chosen, walked, and guarded.

    You don’t coast into holiness. You choose it. You pursue it. You turn your back on everything else—not perfectly, but purposefully.

    So, let’s get brutally honest: Where is your compass pointing?What are your daily decisions saying about who your Master really is?

    Have you left your first love while convincing yourself you’re still devoted?

    You can’t have both. Not forever. One Master will win.

    Let it be Jesus.

    So let’s talk about it: What part of your walk with God needs course correction? Let’s open the conversation and challenge each other toward obedience and clarity.

  • Living for God with Intention

    This has been the recurring theme in messages at church, in YouTube videos I watch, and in Connect Group discussions of late. Call me a conspiracy theorist (though i think pattern recognitionist fits better here), but I’m beginning to think that maybe God is trying to tell me something…

    Too many people today treat their walk with God like a New Year’s resolution—full of good intentions but lacking follow-through. They want to serve Him, they mean to pray more, they hope to read their Bible regularly. But life gets in the way, and before they know it, days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and they’ve drifted further than they ever thought possible. I know this to be true because it’s a pattern I recognize in myself.

    But here’s the thing: no one accidentally lives for God. No one stumbles into righteousness by chance. Living for God requires intentionality.

    Look at Daniel. As a young man, ripped from his home and placed in a pagan culture, he had every excuse to compromise. But what does the Bible say?

    “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank…” (Daniel 1:8 NKJV).

    Daniel didn’t wait until temptation was staring him in the face. He made up his mind beforehand. He was intentional about his commitment to God. And because of that, he stood firm when it mattered most.

    Jesus Himself spoke about this level of commitment. In Luke 9:23, He says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” That’s not a one-time decision. That’s a daily choice, a purposeful surrender every morning when your feet hit the floor.

    The reality is, if we aren’t intentional about living for God, the world will make sure we live for something else. There’s always another distraction, another excuse, another reason to push God to the margins. But Jesus didn’t die for a halfhearted, passive faith. He gave everything for us—shouldn’t we be willing to give Him our best in return?

    So how do we live for God with intentionality? We make daily decisions that prioritize Him. We set aside time for prayer, not just when it’s convenient but because we know we need it. We open His Word, not just to check a box, but to hear His voice. We surround ourselves with people who push us closer to Him. And when temptation comes knocking, we don’t wait until the moment of decision—we purpose in our hearts, like Daniel, to stand firm.

    Living for God isn’t a passive endeavor. It’s a choice. A commitment. A daily pursuit. So, the question is—have you made up your mind?