It’s my goal to live intentionally. One of the goals of this blog is that I might encourage you to do the same. Today I wanted to ask my favorite people on the internet (my readers!) some questions that I hope inspire you to live more intentionally.
God created us each as unique individuals, each called to walk before Him in a way uniquely designed to bring Him the most glory (notice I didn’t say, ‘designed to give us the most fulfillment‘). That’s why I strive to live an intentional life. I don’t want to simply float through life, bumped this way and that by various outside influences. I want to make sure I’m living in a manner that is productive, free from distraction, and ever progressing toward God’s best for me.
(I do believe that seeking God’s best will lead to fulfillment of our hopes and dreams, but it may be after He has molded those dreams to fit His eternal purposes.)
Why am I living this way? It is in keeping with my goal then to occasionally step back and analyze my life and make sure I’m on track. In this series of posts, I hope to inspire you to do the same. To ask yourself why you do the things you do, and to see if any area of your life should be reevaluated and maybe adjusted.To ask yourself, “is this working for me?”
In my observance, people do the things they do and live the way they live based on several major influences, including:
1. Nuclear Family – is one of the biggest influences on how you live your life – food preferences, how you relate to others, where you live, etc. So much of who we are is because of the family we grew up in. A place of personal maturity is reached when one recognizes the impact their nuclear family has had on them, and chooses to take the good and leave the bad.
2. Education. Of course, whatever we expose ourselves to (media, entrainment, relationships) impacts us, but education especially because its primary purpose is to change us. Hopefully this change is for the better, but sometimes educational influences can be warped and the effect, though small at first, can have huge consequences later in life.
3. People. Peer pressure – positive or negative, has a huge impact on how we live. We are relational people. Our whole world revolves around relationships. Even if you choose to be a recluse, you will still be impacted by the people you admire in books and remember the people you have met in the past. The people around us, even without trying to, will effect who you are today and who you will be ten years from now.
It’s important to be aware of what your major influences are – what relationships, blogs, books, music, past experiences – are exercising an influence on you today.
- Are they good or bad?
- Are you being motivated toward godliness by the input in your daily life?
- Are negative experiences in your past causing you to live according to a lie (ie. “I must earn love” or “I’m good at failure”).
- Are you living your life intentionally, or are you living in a box created from negative influences and unhealthy relationships?
How’s that working for you? If you asked yourself a few of those questions and the answers were depressing, then it may be time for a change. In the next post I’m going to share some of the things that I do, why I do them, and what has been the result in my life. My desire is not to convince you to ‘jump on my bandwagon’ but simply to inspire you to stand back and look at your own life and decisions in light of God’s best for you.
Caution – I’m gonna talk about some of my ‘soap box’ issues, and most of them are controversial. 🙂
How’s That Working For You, Part 2 – 12 Things That Work For Me
Are you conscious of the things that influence your life? Why do you do the things you do?
Sarah, thank you so much for reaching out to encourage me! I'm working on part two of this post today. Have a blessed day!
I'm posting a response so that you will be encouraged to continue bringing up topics like this. I don't have any more to add at the moment, but I don't want you to be discouraged that you didn't get 30 responses! Your readers care about more than recipes and cute kid pics – although we always enjoy those!! 🙂
Good Questions…. Some thinking required after this post. 🙂
I used to love to watch murder mysteries on TV. As they became more gruesome, I started to turn them off. Now I have no taste for shows like that, and I have to say I know that God has changed me. He speaks to my heart and asks, “Is this something you should watch?” I am amazed at how He has changed my taste in certain areas.
Traci, thanks for your thoughtful and enthusiastic response. I agree that education should better us. I was specifically speaking of our formal education, but certainly believe that we must continue learning, especially as believers.
I love your decision to pray for change.
Thank you for your encouragement!
Oh Oh! I'll chime in with another purpose of education. Change may perhaps be a purpose but another definition could be “prepare us”. The effect of a lack of education can result in being unprepared. Particularly in a Christian faith, not educating ourselves in God's Word can result in grave lack of preparation for everything life and death entails. The same can happen in other areas too, if we refuse to educate ourselves and instead accept what filters in unintentionally.
I too have been researching as of late, taking closer looks at what affects me and the effects I have on others and one of my personal decisions is to resist my urge to change people because of my own opinions and start praying, interceding on their behalf instead. It's truly the best way I can be used and it eliminates my own flawed opinions.
Cheers to you on this new journey both in life and blog!!! <3 ya!!