As you know, Inspiration is one of the four words I focus on. But inspiration doesn’t just happen. You don’t just take a deep breath and the ‘feel’ inspired the rest of your life. Inspiration comes along with intentional living. Everything we do, are, and can be in life comes through choices – through intentional decisions – and that includes inspired living. In fact, inspiration, encouragement, imagination, and enthusiasm all come through intentional living, daily choices, and daily resolve to live a certain way. Here are 25 Ways Intentional Living Brings Inspiration.
What Does It Mean to Be Intentional?
For some, the term ‘intentional living’ may seem to conflict with living a life of faith. However, faith is not haphazard. You don’t leave your faith to chance. In order to be saved, you had to make one life-changing choice – to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As part of that, you also make a choice to then die to self forever. Living a life of faith is a series of choices we make repeatedly throughout our lives. We are ‘intentional’ about our faith.
If we’re not intentional about our faith, about dying daily, about taking up our cross and following Jesus, about running the race all the way to the finish, our faith will falter and we will find sin creeping back in. So, faith is all about intentional living.
What Does “Intentional” Mean?
The easiest way to understand what “intentional” means is to look at the synonyms for the word. On purpose, deliberate, purposeful, and conscious, are some synonyms. Intentional signifies an awareness of an end to be achieved and the willingness to do whatever it takes to get there.
When you’re looking for a job, you’re intentional. You write a resume with a goal, an end you want to achieve. Perhaps you want to get a job as a cook, or as a plumber, or as an IT Specialist. You decide what you want to achieve and then you compile the steps necessary to achieve that end. Your resume may change as your job choices change but your goal remains the same – you need a job. You need a job making a certain amount of money. You have carefully examined your needs and wants along with your capabilities. These all contribute to the end you will achieve.
If you don’t know what you want, that’s what you’ll get. In other words, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll go nowhere because that’s the outcome of zero planning. To get a job you must be intentional. To maintain a strong life of faith, you must be intentional.
Living intentionally means knowing what you want and being willing to take the steps to get there. We should be intentional in every aspect of our lives.
Intentional Living and Inspiration
What does that have to do with inspiration? First, remember the definition of inspiration. Its simplest definition is to breathe in air. However, its original meaning was to be filled with God’ which happened through His divine influence in your life. Intentional living and intentional breathing in the life of God each day go hand-in-hand. Each brings influence and strength to the other. We need the fresh breath of God every day.
Intentional Living in Every Area of Our Lives
That might sounds overwhelming! However, I’m not talking about being a regimented, goal-obsessed person who can’t have fun unless it’s scheduled intentionally!
I believe intentional living starts in our life of faith. How many times have you decided to read the Bible through in one year, or to read it every single day? How many times have you failed to do that? Intentional living in your life of faith doesn’t mean you’re like a programmed robot. Intentional living doesn’t mean that you’re a failure if you didn’t read the entire Bible in one year.
On the other hand, an attitude of “I’ll read the Bible if I feel like it,” is simply a way to excuse yourself from living an intentional life of faith. You have no goals, nothing you want to achieve in your walk with Jesus. Yet, the word is quite clear about the goals we need to have and the fact that those goals are achieved by our choices. We’re not supposed to just wait till we ‘feel’ like being a Christian. None of us ‘feel like’ dying to self and crucifying the flesh with its lusts and desires. We must, however, make daily choices to yield to the Holy Spirit and remain dead to the flesh.
Could it be any clearer that our former identity is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power.
Obviously, a dead person is incapable of sinning. And if we were co-crucified with the Anointed One, we know that we will also share in the fullness of his life. And we know that since the Anointed One has been raised from the dead to die no more, his resurrection life has vanquished death and its power over him is finished. For by his sacrifice he died to sin’s power once and for all, but he now lives continuously for the Father’s pleasure. So let it be the same way with you! Since you are now joined with him, you must continually view yourselves as dead and unresponsive to sin’s appeal while living daily for God’s pleasure in union with Jesus, the Anointed One.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Intentional Living
Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea. Why? Because, while all of this seems daunting, we must always remember that we have been given the Holy Spirit. He dwells inside us and gives us the strength and courage to live as Jesus did in this world. The Holy Spirit gives us power. He is the very breath of the life of God dwelling inside us. He embodies inspiration and gives us all that He is as the third and equal member of the Holy Trinity. We should spend time getting to know Him and recognize His voice. It is the voice of God.
I have much more to tell you but you cannot bear it now. Yet when that one I have spoken to you about comes—the Spirit of truth—he will guide you into everything that is true. For he will not be speaking of his own accord but exactly as he hears, and he will inform you about what is to come. He will bring glory to me for he will draw on my truth and reveal it to you. Whatever the Father possesses is also mine; that is why I tell you that he will draw on my truth and will show it to you.
How to Practice Intentional Living
We will look at the Word of God to learn just some of the choices we must make. It will be abundantly clear that the Word of God tells us about every aspect of intentional living.
25 Ways Intentional Living Brings Inspiration
1. Do All To the Glory of God
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
You may be asking how to do this. It happens through a decision to yield to the will of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes but, if you’ve determined in your heart, that this is what you want, the Holy Spirit will help and teach you along the way. To do this requires intentional living.
Read Philippians 4:14-16 and see how to press on and stay in the race through intentional living. As you resolve to do all to the glory of God and to do what Corinthians and Philippians advise, inspiration will fill you as the very presence of God does.
2. Love One Another As Jesus Loves You
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34 ESV
Again, we may not do this perfectly but God looks at our heart and the intentions of our heart. If we fall, He picks us back up. If we fail, He forgives and restores. Jesus loves us with a perfect and unconditional ‘agape’ love and it is His will that we do the same.
Romans 12:9 about the need for your love to be genuine. We are meant to a genuine love for every human created and loved by God. Loving as Jesus loves with a genuine love involves a choice – intentional living in His love.
3. Seek First the Kingdom of God
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 ESV
Rather than worrying about things we can’t fix and fearing things that never take place, we’re to seek the kingdom trusting that, as we do this, everything we need will be added to us. Again, it’s a choice. Where is your mind set? Is it on things above or the things of this earth? Intentional living includes intentional thinking and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Colossians 3:1tells us to seek the things above, which means being intentional. In the gospels, Jesus says to seek first the Kingdom of God. Paul says that He is running to obtain the prize.
Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
We are promised forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and heaven. We have the promise of Jesus that He will prepare a place for each one of us. This is where we set our minds. But we can only set them through an intentional decision.
Seeking the things above and setting our minds on the things above is part of intentional living that will usher in inspiration as we are more and more open and ready for His breath.
4. Present Your Bodies As a Living Sacrifice
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 ESV
Of course, this is a mental exercise. Jesus was the last and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus’ life here on earth was one of intentional living and giving.
In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made as part of the worship of a Holy God. Now, we must regard ourselves as a living sacrifice because our old man died with Christ. Being a living sacrifice means that you do not do what you wish, you obey God because His love has washed you clean and your love for Him is so strong that your highest desire is to serve Him.
Read Philippians 2:12 where Paul tells us to work out our salvation – to accomplish or complete it. Finish the race. Don’t stop because it’s hard or because you’re afraid. Don’t quit because things don’t work out like you thought they should. Keep working, persevering, believing, and loving. But do it with reverence and fear of losing that for which Christ pursued you.
As we die to the flesh and persevere, He continually breathes new life into us – in-spiration. And as we persevere, intentional living will become more and more natural.
5. Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind Set on What is Above
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV
There are certain aspects of intentional living that are mentioned several times – our minds, our thoughts, the intentions of our hearts. We each hold personal responsibility for the renewing of our minds. When we step into the Kingdom of God at salvation, our minds may still hold onto some things that are contrary to the ways and will of God. It’s up to us to set our minds on the things above, take every thought captive, and to think on the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. It takes time and practice, intentional living, but it can be done.
Colossians 3:2 tells us that the responsibility for where our mind is directed is clearly our own! You can “change your mind.” If you find your thoughts going in a direction that is sinful, it’s up to you to take those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Replace wrong thinking with the Word of God. In my own life, this is the most effective way I’ve found to deal with stinking thinking.
When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus used the Word of God against him. We can and should do the same. If you are having lustful thoughts, find at least one scripture to counter those thoughts and use it to set your mind on. Write it on a card, pull it out, and read it out loud whenever you need to. Write out a short prayer you can use to let God know that you are seeking the things above and setting your mind on whatever is pure, etc.
This is all intentional living. It’s taking a stand against the enemy. As we cleanse our minds and take those thoughts captive, inspiration will flood in and bring light.
6. Abhor andWhat is Evil
Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Romans 12:9b ESV
Things that are evil in the sight of God can be very appealing and enjoyable to our flesh. Here, the Word gives us two tools to use to fight off the temptations of evil. Hate or abhorrence and clinging to what is good. Again, a change and renewal of the mind are involved. What we once viewed as being acceptable, we now realize falls short of kingdom values. Don’t let go of what is good. God alone is good and we cling to Him as our Savior and refuge. This definitely involves intentional living.
Romans 12:21 says we overcome evil with good!
We cannot let evil overwhelm, conquer, prevail over or subdue us. Instead, we use goodness to banish the evil that tries to defeat us. Goodness is one of the 9 fruit of the Holy Spirit. He is constantly active within us and His fruit is available to us at all times
Intentional living will allow goodness to grow inside and inspiration to fill each of us as we hate evil, cling to good, and overcome evil with good.
7. Love One Another With Brotherly Love and Do Not Lie to Each Other
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10 ESV
We are to love other believers with affection just as we have for a brother or sister. We are to love everyone as Jesus loves us. We also love the brethren with the affection, concern, and care we would have toward our biological family. If we’re open to loving others, we can do it! And, we need to try to outdo each other in it! In other words, have fun, practice intentional living, and go all out in honoring and caring for your fellow believers.
Colossians 3:9-10 adds an instruction that we are not to lie to one another. We’re to live in the newness of our life in Christ and there shouldn’t be room for lies in that life. Jesus told the truth that brought about His own death. He knew it would and He also knew that it was the Father’s perfect will.
Knowing when to speak the truth and when to take a matter to the prayer closet can be hard at times. However, the primary injunctive here is – don’t lie. Don’t lie to anyone. Love does not lie and intentional living will not either.
8. Be Fervent in Spirit as You Let Peace Rule
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:11 ESV
Don’t let your zeal (enthusiasm and earnestness) subside (go backward, hesitate). Instead, be fervent (on fire) in your devotion to God! This Scripture – Romans 12:11 – covers the 4 words I focus on – Inspiration, Enthusiasm, Imagination, and Encouragement. We are to have an enthusiastic faith that doesn’t waver and be on fire in our devotion to Jesus. Even when hard times come, we are to remain filled with zeal and fervency for our God. We are all in, all the time through intentional living and inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 3:15 says we are to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and we can be thankful. Peace and gratitude are two very powerful qualities. Have you ever met someone who just exuded peace? It’s so nice to be around someone who is genuinely at peace within themselves and with their God. They don’t have to say anything because you can just feel and see it.
A person who practices gratitude is generally a peaceful person. Gratitude can help you take off all the things you need to and help you put on all the good things God has for you. Gratitude makes you focus on the positive. It helps you set your mind on the things above. You start to see what you have instead of just looking at what you don’t have.
Remaining fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, letting peace rule, and being thankful are acts of intentional living, inspiration, encouragement, imagination, and enthusiasm.
9. Rejoice in Hope and Be Patient in Tribulation
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, Romans 12:12a
It can be very hard to be patient in tribulation and trials. However, if we rejoice in hope, we can overcome. Our hope is only in one thing – God. All our hope is in Him and we can trust Him because He always does what He says He will do. Our hope is in Christ. We have eternal hope in heaven. Regardless of whatever may be taking place around us, our hope is fixed, “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 HCSB
We can overflow with hope, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 HCSB
Romans 12:15 talks about empathy – weep with those who weep. Why would it be important to empathize and sympathize with others and what does that have to do with rejoicing in hope? Empathy is an important aspect of our character. Here is a definition of empathy:
The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.
Jesus empathized. He wept over the death of Lazarus, empathizing with the pain of those around Him. He rejoiced with His friends when Lazarus received life again. Jesus was acquainted with our grief, our illnesses, our pain. Isaiah 53:3 CJB, “People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him.“
Empathy and the ability to rejoice in hope and endure tribulation are all intentional. Empathy is intentional living. Empathy pours out encouragement, inspiration, and hope to those in need.
10. Be Constant in Prayer and Continue In It
Be constant in prayer. Romans 12:b
Prayer is often underestimated simply because we can’t always physically see the results of our prayers. Of course, we pray in faith and understand that, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 HCSB. Therefore, we must pray at all times and be constant in it. Prayer is a huge part of intentional living.
Prayers don’t have to last for 2 hours. There are no special words we must use. Prayer is the cry of the heart of man reaching out to the heart of God. Prayer is worshipping. Prayer is talking with God in a natural, honest, and open way. God hears and answers our prayers. The proof of those answers may never be seen with physical eyes but it is always seen by the eyes of faith.
Colossians 4:2 exhorts us to continue steadfastly in prayer. Be constant, continue steadfastly as you are watchful and giving thanks. All of that is intentional living.
11. Contribute to the Needs of the Saints As You Look Out For Others
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 ESV
I’ve done things in my life that were very selfish, or not done things because of selfishness. I didn’t consider the interests of others. I didn’t think about the fact that my action might have a destructive effect on them. I was selfish – looking out for my own interests. As a servant of all, the interests of the person I’m serving should be what is at the top of my priorities. My interests come after that.
Read through all of Philippians 2 to learn more about the attitude that we should all have toward other. Intentional living is not selfish living. Intentional living is about others.
12. Bless Those Who Persecute You
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Romans 12:14 ESV
This is a hard one. If someone is persecuting me, I don’t like it. Nor do I like to see others persecuted. Persecution can take many forms and today, we see it exhibited as hate. Hateful words and actions are directed toward those we look down on. I’m sure we have all watched as survivors of church shootings forgave the person who killed their fellow believers. This is what it means to bless those who persecute you, to bless, not curse them and you can only do it through intentional living.
Romans 12:20 goes so far as to tell us to feed and give drink to our enemies, and, that by doing this, we pour a fire or hot coals on their heads! Not literally. In the spiritual realm, however, it’s very real and this is where the Holy Spirit goes to work on them.
As we bless those who persecute us, inspiration fills us. As we feed and give drink to our enemies, forgiving them as we were forgiven, inspiration fills us to overflowing.
13. Live in Harmony and Peacefully with Everyone
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Romans 12:16a ESV
Don’t be too proud to be around those who are sick, homeless, living in sin, or in any other way different from you. Jesus spent time with lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, and adulterers. He poured His love on them and shed His blood for them.
Living in harmony with everyone around you can be hard. I recently experienced this. A property near my home had burned and was no longer liveable. The owner had come from another state to clean, gather her relative’s belongings, and put the land up for sale. I had stopped to feed the cat belonging to the tenant who was now displaced by the fire. I spoke to the woman and expressed my sympathy.
However, she began to complain and accuse of me trespassing, stealing her land, and other things that were not so. She wouldn’t listen to me. I politely excused myself and left. The best thing I could do to temporarily live in harmony with her was to stay away and pray for her, which I did. Sometimes, getting along means letting someone be difficult and simply distancing yourself if possible. This too is part of intentional living. I had to be intentional about my attitude toward her and what I believed to be the best way to handle the situation.
The instruction to “live peaceably with all” is found in Romans 12:18.
Regardless of what others may think of us, we can maintain our own peace and all that we can to live at peace with those around us. We must be intentional about peace. Intentional living will help us find and keep our peace as we live in harmony with others and are not proud.
14. Never be Wise in Your Own Eyes But Walk in Wisdom
Never be wise in your own sight. Romans 12:16b ESV
The opposite of being wise in your own eyes is to be humble and modest. Paul had already stated this in Romans 12:3 with some added instruction:
For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.
The words “think of yourself” actually mean “don’t be vain or arrogant.” Instead, consider yourself with a sound mind exercising self-control. In other words, be humble. I’m not better than anyone. I’m not more loved than the person who is mean to me. I’m the servant of all. The words of Philippians 2 tell us what our attitude should always be.
Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Humility is the key. Jesus emptied Himself. He took the form of a slave by taking on our likeness. We must daily remember that we are the servants of Christ, therefore, the servants of His creation. Intentional living means that we must intend to be humble.
15. Do What is Honorable and Be of the Same Mind
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Romans 12:17 ESV
What does it mean to be honorable? Merriam-Webster Dictionary says this, “HONORABLE suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.” The word “honorable” is the Greek word “Kala” and means – beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.” This is intentional living.
In whatever we do, we need to consider those around us and what their impression of Christ will be because of our words and actions. We should maintain a high sense of duty toward our Savior and that should be reflected in our words and actions.
Living honorably, as Jesus did, is intentional. Jesus lived in the midst of an openly sinful city with hatred expressed to Him regularly. But He lived honorably. Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit were and are of the same, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. We are in Christ and we should be living in that same way. Intentionally living an honorable life.
16. Vengeance is God’s and Pure Thinking is Yours
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
Whenever you’re working on changing your thoughts, there’s an important component. When you try to stop thinking about a particular thing, you need to replace the thought with a Godly one. Here we have the list of things to think about that will help you change your mind and take any sinful or arrogant thoughts captive as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5.
Ask yourself, is what I’m thinking about right now true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise? If not, you need to find one of those other things to think about and you may need a Scripture to help me remind yourself and the devil that you have made a choice for intentional living in faith.
And, it works. I know because I’ve done it and I know you can too. Change your thoughts through intentional living and focusing on inspiration.
17. Put to Death What is Earthly in You by Putting Sin Away
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. Colossians 3:5-6 ESV
Here again, we see that we carry the responsibility to put off and put to death the sin that tries to overtake us. In fact, we’re told specifically what we need to put off. I would encourage you to read Colossians 3 and see the specific instructions that are given in verses 1-17. Use the Word of God and the armor of God.
Go to Ephesians 6:10-18 and picture yourself putting on each piece of the armor. Put on the breastplate of Jesus’ righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, use the shield of faith to quench the enemy’s fiery arrows, put on the helmet of salvation, and pick up the Sword which is the Word of God. The armor of God is real. It’s a spiritual exercise that has real and positive effects in our lives and is intentional living making us stronger and stronger.
Use Ephesians 6:10-18 as a prayer by personalizing it. For instance, the first couple of sentences say, “ In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. Ephesians 6:10-11 Philipps.”
You can pray this by saying, “I will be strong-not in myself but in the Lord, in the power of His boundless resources. I will put on God’s complete armor so that I can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack.” Continue to personalize it, praying it, and picturing it. Its power is real.
Colossians 3:8 gives us a list of more of what we’re to put away. Be intentional about each one of the things listed in these scriptures so that putting them away and keeping them away becomes a natural part of intentional living. We have God’s armor to help us put to death what is earthly in us. We have His Word to strengthen us. We have a choice to be inspired by God’s divine influence in our lives and intentional living.
18. What to Put On
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Colossians 3:12-13 ESV
Here, we see what we can put on! It’s a wonderful list. In fact, wouldn’t it be incredible if everyone lived with these qualities as part of their lives? We can’t make that happen for others but we can and must make it happen inside ourselves.
It’s a choice – a daily choice. We choose each day to put these things on, protect them, and live them. It doesn’t say we need to tell others to do this. It says that ‘you’ are to put them on. As we become living examples through intentional living, others will want to do the same.
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14 ESV
The love referred to here is agape love. It is God’s kind of love. It is undeserved grace and perfect love extended to us by the God who is love. We can choose for it to be part of our lives and, here, it says we should. Choose (be intentional) each day to put on agape love and to let it be seen in your attitude and actions and heard in your words.
19. Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 ESV
I firmly believe that the Word of God is the most life-changing book ever written. Its truths are timeless and know no boundaries. It can literally change you. Look at what this verse says – you “let” the word of Christ dwell (live) in you richly. Let it be abundantly settled in you. Also, thankfulness comes into play again. We are to teach and encourage each other, after the Word of God is dwelling richly inside us. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness.
We should be in the Word every single day without fail. Even if you only read one verse – it has power! However, we should all be students of the Word, well versed in it because through knowledge we’re protected from those who would lie and twist the Bible for their own purposes. Know the Word for yourself. Study daily. That’s how the Word of God dwells in you richly and how intentional living grows!
Being a Christian means practicing some things over and over in order to finally master them. Intentional living includes lots of practice. It requires the discipline of studying and knowing the Bible and living a thankful life.
20. Walk in Him
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7
We don’t accept Jesus like buying a life insurance policy. We don’t just ensure (insurance) that we aren’t going to hell. Ambassadors walk and talk about the kingdom they are representatives of. We are to walk in Jesus! Think about that. It’s an incredible privilege and responsibility. We’re to be rooted and built up in Him and to be established in our faith. That means we are set in place in our faith. We are not wandering and wavering.
It requires decisions. Walking in Him doesn’t just happen. We must decide (be intentional) that this is how we are going to practice intentional living and do everything in Jesus’ name.
21. Let Your Speech Always Be Gracious in Humility
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 ESV
I love this verse in The Passion Translation because it brings it to life, “Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.“
Our words should be born in grace and give grace to the hearer. At the same time, they should bring clarity. Most of all – be respectful. An unsaved person is not stupid or beneath us and we should speak to them with the utmost respect and treat them the way we want to be treated, the way Jesus would treat them.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 ESV
This is a reminder of not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think and to remember that you’re the servant of all. Intentional living means remembering this at all times – others are more significant than self and our speech should always be filled with grace.
22. Rejoice in the Lord and Don’t Be Anxious
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. Philippians 3:1 ESV
What does it mean to rejoice? It means to find joy in something or someone, the Lord in this case, and then to do it again. Our rejoicing and our hope are not in circumstances, money, or anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We hope in Him. We rejoice in Him. We give thanks in Him.
Be sure to read about the 8 Inspirational Benefits of Rejoicing in the Lord.
Philippians 4:6-7 talks about conquering anxiety through prayer and says that peace will become a sentry at the door of your heart and mind. Rejoicing in the Lord will also help you lay down your anxiety because rejoicing IN Him means your focus is on Him, not your fears. Intentional living results in inspired living.
23. Have the Mind of Christ by Training Yourself for Godliness
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 ESV
The Bible says that we have the mind of Christ in 1 Corinthians 2:16. The Passion Translation says it in a way that helps us have a clearer picture, “For, Who has ever intimately known the mind of the Lord Yahweh well enough to become his counselor? Christ has, and we possess Christ’s perceptions.”
How can we have the mind of Christ? The Holy Spirit lives inside us and one of His jobs is to tell us everything God and Jesus are saying. We have the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to us. The Trinity has one, unified mind and it is shared with us through the entrance of the Holy Spirit into our lives. We have Jesus’ mind as the Holy Spirit tells us all Jesus is saying.
We are to maintain that listening ear, constantly hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying. Through intentional living, we have this mind in ourselves.
Train yourself to reflect the nature of the kingdom of God in the course of everyday life. As we have the mind of Christ, are humble, and trainable, we find the reward of living in godliness that Paul tells Timothy about in 1 Timothy 4:7.
24. Don’t Complain and Fight Just Show Your Reasonableness
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Colossians 2:14-15 ESV
If you look up the definition of grumbling and disputing, they mean complaining and arguing. It’s pretty simple. The hard part is the first three words – do ALL things. I don’t know about you but I complain at times. I don’t complain about God. Instead, it’s about the weather or another driver or other similar irritations of life. We all complain about that type of thing.
Here we have a combination of complaining and arguing. This means that things have taken another step. You aren’t just complaining about the weather. You are arguing, fighting with, and complaining about someone. Paul says it has to stop. What are you complaining about? Is it just that someone rubbed you the wrong way or they don’t believe what you believe? Then you need to forgive and ask for forgiveness for being so easily irritated.
Philippians 4:4-5 talks about letting our reasonableness be known to everyone. We live gently, mildly, fairly and moderately. We do it intentionally and this helps stop the complaining and arguing!. Your intentional living will bear fruit that all can partake of.
25. Walk Just as He Walked
But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:5-6
If we love God and know that we are in Him, we will walk just as He (Jesus) walked. We can do this. We are able because God has already given us everything we need to do it!
Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.
This is how we can walk just as He walked. We already have everything we need for intentional living and following the 25 ways that lead to living an inspired life!
25 Ways Intentional Living Brings Inspiration
25 things may seem overwhelming, but, be encouraged! They are summed up in the last 2 Scriptures we looked at. We can walk as He walked because we’ve been given everything we need for life and godliness and intentional living.
These things are all summed up in love and obedience based on love. The love is mutual. Because of this, inspiration is the natural outcome. You don’t have to work at being inspired. You don’t have to be jumping up and down like a cheerleader every day. Even on your worst days, you can have inspiration because you still love God and He still loves you!
Remember, inspiration means to be filled with God which comes through His divine influence in your life. Intentional living and intentional breathing in the life of God each day go hand-in-hand. Each brings influence and strength to the other.
Each scripture is simply pointing to ways of intentional living that will result in even more of God’s divine influence in your life. As you love Him and devote yourself to Him, the 25 ways will come naturally. One will flow right into the next. Your job is to grow in love and devotion, to persevere, and to let the Holy Spirit fill you to overflowing every day of your life!
I’m including a list of all the Scriptures in this post for you to use – Click Here to Download. There are some scriptures in the list that are not in this post but they give us more instruction for intentional living. Keep it with you to be reminded of the joy of the journey with Jesus! Intentional Living Brings Inspiration!
Inspiration For Life Today uses verses from different Bible translations. To see more information about the copyright for each one, please visit this page – Scripture Citations.