Intentional

Intentional - done on purpose or deliberately.

In my previous post, I shared my decision to be intentional with my walk with Christ. I have decided to delve into what it means to live intentionally for Him.

The first and most important thing is to choose Christ by your own volition. I grew up in a Christian home, so Christ was all I knew. As I grew up, I tried to find my identity in Christ, but it was always short lived — due to my actions. I would have a burning passion for Christ for a week or so. Then the inconsistency would start, and eventually, I would fully withdraw myself from His presence. This would be a cycle for many years, but I decided to end it. I had to come to terms with how unhappy I was with my relationship with Christ, and I had to be the one to decide to do better. God has always been waiting for me, all I had to do was surrender to Him.

This is very cliché, but who you surround yourself with is very important. I am surrounded by friends who are pursuing Christ, so they not only keep me accountable but also offer support and encouragement. You know how sometimes you don't feel like studying, but seeing someone else studying motivates you to do the same? That's one of the roles my friends play. When I feel demotivated, I look to them for encouragement. When I feel lost, I look to them for wisdom. While it is crucial to turn to God first, fellowship also plays a vital role.

I have conversations with my friends where they are quoting scripture, sharing wisdom, and having debates, and I think to myself, "I want that too." I also want to add to these conversations, and I am aware that it cannot happen on its own. I have to put in the effort to equip myself with His Word and spend time in His presence. By being intentional in my faith, I know Christ, I see His work, I am able to understand His Word and live according to it. It is amazing to talk about Christ with confidence and clarity, to the point of quoting scripture on the spot without referring to the Bible.

One of the things that helps keep me in check is this statement: "When you are interested in someone, you spend time with them because you want to understand who they are, but you don't match that energy when it comes to God." That statement hit home the moment I heard it because it is true. When you want to know someone, you want to give them all your time and attention. You go as far as stalking their social media to know more about them. The point is, you go the extra mile for someone else but not for God. I am still learning to give God His time, and I did that by eliminating as many distractions as I could. The first thing I did was get off TikTok because I would spend hours on it—among other reasons, but that is a story for another day.

Honestly, I don't have it all figured out, but the important thing is that I am learning as I grow. I am always conscious of the fact that I chose God, so I have to give Him the time and attention He deserves. I am intentional with my walk with Christ because I want to be, not because someone told me to be. 

Choosing Him is easy, the real work is maintaining that relationship.