Good Intentions or God’s Intent?

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

James 4:15-16 (NLT)

I typically begin the day with good intentions. Yet some days, it feels like all I’ve managed to do is botch things. I utter the wrong words, do the wrong things, try to fix a problem but end up making it worse, and finish the day feeling defeated.

There’s nothing wrong in making plans but when we start each day without talking it over with God, we tend to plow ahead with our own agenda and in our own strength rather than seeking His purpose.

God suggests a different way to approach each day, inviting us to set aside our pride and self-sufficiency in exchange for complete dependence upon Him. He wants to be in on every aspect of our day, from the instant we rise to the moment we fall asleep. God’s way involves a surrender of our own self-rule so He can act in us, through us, and for us.

God urges us to pray before we speak, to ask for His blessing upon the tasks we undertake, to ask for His guidance in every situation, to seek His divine wisdom for those difficult choices that will inevitably fill our days.

Good intentions are just that; intentions that are good. Instead of beginning the day with good intentions, ask God to show you His intent for each day. You’ll love the difference it makes!

Thought: “Good intentions never change anything. They only become a deeper and deeper rut.” – Joyce Meyer