What Are Your Intentions? – Abide in the Vine 

Especially when social decorum was stricter, former procrastinators, a father might ask a young man who was seeing his daughter, “What are your intentions?”  The dad would want to know if the fellow was just out for a good time or if he was interested in marriage.  Another question might be “Are your intentions honorable?”  If so, follow through action would be expected.

Are our intentions honorable?  Do our intentions and follow on action line up with God’s Word?  Do they meet the Philippians 4:8 criteria of being true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy?  Will they keep us connected to the Vine or loosen our connection? 

An intention is an aim to guide action   Sometimes we have a gap between intention and action.    There’s a gap between looking down the arrow toward the target and releasing the arrow. We must release the arrow.  Aim and execute.

Intentions can be as simple as daily chores we barely think about (making the bed) or as complex as drawing up plans that require a binder.  Most are in between.  We’re talking about a deliberate mindset to accomplish something. Whether imposed on us by a boss or situation or chosen by us, the job is our responsibility.

Consider intentions in light of the following notes:

Our pastor recently addressed “Blessed are the pure in spirit.”  First, he pointed out that heart and mind in scripture is most often the same, not delineated in ways we often use.  He said there are two ways our hearts and minds must be pure.  They must be clean, and they must be whole.  Jesus cleanses us by his blood; we need daily application. (I John 1:9) Then our hearts must be united, one. (“Unite my heart to fear your name.”  Psalm 86:11) He mentioned that a lens that is clean but fractured does not work.  A lens that is whole but dirty does not work. 

This speaks to me. A heart/mind that is clean can better see where to aim.  A heart/mind that is united can focus to form intentions and carry them out. Double mindedness dilutes or diverts our intentions and our execution of them.  It becomes easier to delay or neglect.

Our meaning for “execute” is to carry out completely.  Ironically in today’s slang there’s the expression “you killed it” which means “you did that very well.”  That’s how we want to execute our intentions.

I remember a group of moms helping with a play.  The mom responsible for the set asked the director, “What do you want for a set?  I can’t stand the pressure of not being underway.”  She didn’t know what the director wanted, so she couldn’t build it.  She was responsible for a target she couldn’t see.  Not a good place.  If the target is supplied by someone else, get it from him.  Clarify it. Then get underway.

Let’s form intentions carefully, then without delay, follow through with action.

What intention do you have that you’re not acting on?