(A little excerpt from a quick devo I shared with our High School student ministry for our week long mission trip to St. Louis, MO over this past week. Had to share! Be praying for our students, God is doing incredible things in this generation!!)
What does it mean to be intentional? Something about your intentions??
Something done on purpose. deliberate. willful. intended.
Have you ever noticed when someone took the time to see you, really see you? They look into your eyes, it's like their looking into your soul. They listen to your every word. They're fully present, not distracted and you somehow feel known and safe and loved. It's a beautiful feeling and one we take for granted far too often. It's also something we often have a hard time replicating in our busy lives…
I'm often far too busy to remember people's names. I've always said I'm not good at names- but a professor once called me out. He says being "bad at names" is an excuse for not caring about their story. Every name has a story. Do I care enough to take time out of my ordinary time to ask or listen??
This week while we're on a mission trip we want to slow down the busy lifestyle and be "intentional" with our ministry. I want to remember names and hear stories. I want to remember that stories aren't just important on a mission trip, but that people's stories are important everywhere I go, because God's already there being a part of a bigger story.
Philippians 2:1-4 says, "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
What does that mean for us? What is God saying about how we should act as His church? We're called to share the gospel, but what does that look like? Jesus loves on every day dirty and uncomfortable places… He loves with sacrifice and presence. Jesus took time to hear the stories, and He became a part of them. And He wants us to learn to be apart of other stories too.
God is a god of intentional ministry. He has created each of us with a story, a story to be heard. As Christians, we are called to minister to the world, and they will know us by our love. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus, getting into the story of others while learning to love them. Think about stories of Jesus. He wasn't afraid of someone's circumstances. He wasn't intimidated or grossed out. In fact He spent most of His time seeking out those who were on the edge- too far for the rest of people to care for. Intentional people seek out stories. They seek out lives and hearts. Every pair of eyes deserves to be looked into, to be seen, their story can be heard and their name remembered.
Why don't we ask God what He's doing?? He's already here. He's already working and moving. He sees the people and He knows their stories. So let's ask Him. God what are you doing right now- at the gas station, at the grocery store, at this mcdonalds or in this church. Let's get on board with His story and be intentional to seek out the stories of the people around us. Be present and be ready! 🙂
