Five ways to be intentional

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As a college student graduating this year (It’s just as weird typing it as it is reading it), I get asked at least three times a week what I want to do when I graduate.  I typically have my weeks planned down to the detail (even of what I’m eating every day for all three meals).  But the answer to this question is that there is no plan… yet.   

The answer I always give people is: “I have no idea, but I do know that I want it to be something that makes a difference in helping other people’s lives.”

That wasn’t always my answer.  If you would’ve asked me when I was 8, the answer would’ve been obvious with the amount of obnoxious singing I made my family listen to in the living room (trying to be the next Hannah Montana, duh).  I slowly started changing that answer when I realized the danger of my natural tendency to do things that only I cared about. 

I realized that although I wasn’t the most selfish person in the world, I also wasn’t the most selfless.  My heart was convicted that I didn’t try my best to model what it looks like to live life like Jesus: a selfless servant. 

I began asking for my desires to change and that my mindset would be less focused on me.  When we ask to have God’s desires, it ultimately leads to living a life about others, others and OTHERS.  Because that’s our purpose right?  To love and serve His people.

To serve someone else is to acknowledge their needs before yours.  Obviously, it’s okay and even necessary that we do things for ourselves too because it’s all part of a balance, but we’ll write about that another week!  The key to serving is to be intentional.  Intentionality means to make a deliberate effort, or to go out of your way, to fulfill a task.  It means to do something with purpose.

I want to challenge you to do one thing every day that intentionally serves someone.  I put together a list of a few ways you can do this:

• Invite someone you don’t know very well to grab dinner.
• Leave an encouraging note for a friend or someone in class when you know they’ve had a rough day.
• Send a text to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.
• Clean the dishes without being asked OR clean your roommates’ dishes for them.
• Talk to the person you see in passing that you kinda know but really don’t (and it’s a little awkward); and talk to them anyway.  Find out how they’ve been!

If you’re going to be intentional, it’s also important that you stay consistent.  The goal is to make this a norm that you do every day!  Not only carry it out this week but do one intentional thing every day! 

If you’re like me, you have the best intentions (no pun intended); but without writing them down, they’re only intentions.  Act on what you say you’re going to do.  Here are a few ways to be consistent:

• Create a list of ideas (like I made) and assign one of the ideas to a person you want to be more intentional with.  Write it down in the notes section on your phone.
• A planner!!!  Write the person’s name you want to be intentional with and the day you want to do it.  This helps you commit to it so you won’t forget.

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