Intentionality is often stopped by fear. Fear that the other person doesn’t want to hear what you have to say. Fear that they don’t want to talk to you at all. Fear that you will miss out on something for you if you try and be intentional with someone else. Fear that you will miss something here when you try and be intentional there. Fear that they have fallen and are a different path than you. Fear that you’ll just embarrass yourself if you say things the other person no longer agrees with. Fear stops intentionality and the spread of the Good News in turn.
Intentionality on the race has been weird, because there is a tough medium between being present and not when trying to be intentional with those back home. For the first really 5/5.5 months on this journey I was really bad at being intentional with those back home. It was easy for me to not need to talk to people back home, which is good in a lot of ways. Going into this thing I was prepared to not need to or to not even talk to some people from back home and to be super present where I am currently, which I was and am super present.
I never really realized it till writing this that I let the fear of missing out and not being present here stop me from being intentional with those back home till now. I let the fear of some people no longer agreeing with Jesus or walking out a life for him stop me from being intentional. I let the fear of people possibly not wanting to talk to me at all stop me from being intentional. I let all of these fears stop me from being intentional.
Until now.
Last weekend I decided to stop letting this fear stop and reach out to some of my friends from college. And we had great conversations and they are growing a lot in the Lord which is fantastic. I decided to start being more intentional with my family, specifically my siblings, and reaching out to them and being a good Godly influence into their lives. Though we are both on this journey individually and growing in Christ on our own; I can’t let that excuse and fear of missing out on what’s here stop me from being intentional with my girlfriend.
I encourage whoever reads this, that if you are struggling with those fears above with intentionality. To not let those fear beat you and to not let the enemy win in that way. You may think you’re doing a good thing with some of the fears, but the moment we make our walk all about us and what we can learn and get out our journey and not about the Kingdom that becomes a hindrance to the Kingdom. Then that fear of missing out on something for you stops you from being intentional and stops the spread of the Kingdom of God.
So, step out today in boldness. Step out and be intentional with those around you. Be intentional with that person who you have been meaning to talk to but haven’t.
Be intentional.
