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We all need to get beyond good intentions. The Bible talks about that. In fact, it speaks pretty seriously about getting beyond just good intentions. The book of Matthew chronicles a story that speaks about getting beyond good intentions.
“What do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered, ‘I will not;’ but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second son and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir;’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you’” (Matthew 21:28-31).
Jesus emphasized that the second one had good intentions, but never followed through. The first one had a little bit of ambivalence, but he got beyond good intentions and followed through.
God’s best will never happen except through great intentionality. God’s best does not happen accidentally; it does not happen by chance or coincidence.
There is a huge chasm between intentions and reality. It is like a chasm that has to be bridged and has to be crossed. Here are three tips that can help bridge the chasm. These won’t happen automatically, but will help us to move beyond good intentions.
1. Put guard rails in place and respect them
If we are not careful, our lives will get diluted and we will slump back into the same-old, same-old. Instead, the Lord is saying, No, I want you to have fruit in your life so people can see it.We have got to get back to action.
We need to ask, What am I going to do? Am I going to fit myself to God’s Word and His Word to me? Am I going to set my life up to His Word and put guard rails in place?
“Set up for yourself road marks, place for yourself guideposts, direct your mind to the highway …” (Jeremiah 31:21).
God says that we have to set up for ourselves road marks that are clear guideposts. They are guardrails, mental disciplines and internal guideposts. Nobody is going to do it for us. We have got to be able to discipline ourselves even though no one is around.
God gives many internal guardrails in His Word. They are like road marks or guideposts. Setting them up is not always going to be easy. We yearn for freedom. That freedom comes from the certain guard rails and disciplines that we put within our heart. When we begin to discipline ourselves, we will find that there is great freedom in our life. Not necessarily freedom to do something, but it is freedom from having to do something.
Life without discipline is a life wasted. Getting beyond good intentions will require us to set and respect guard rails because our hearts need to be directed.
2. Begin practicing what you know is God’s best
“For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who, because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).
Even as Christians, our feelings, emotions and senses do not automatically get saved. They are still rebellious and renegades and completely wild. You love God, but your feelings and your senses are still wild. The Bible says you have to train. How do you do that? You do it by practicing. Will it always be easy? No. Is it always fun? No, but instead practice it. Discipline yourself.
3. Look for the proof of your faith as measurements
“So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
In other words, when the Lord comes, there will be more than faith—there will be proof. If there isn’t proof, then all we have are good intentions. When we only have good intentions, then we start to change what we believe to match how we live. Then we feel better.
If we’re not careful, we start to change what we believe to how we live. We must check ourselves and have accountability. Hopefully, as we continue to build this bridge past good intentions, we will see the progress. We will see fruit produced in our life—moving toward a life well-lived.
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Have you ever felt the pull to full-time ministry work as a missionary or pastor? If not, you can still make a Kingdom impact without quitting your current job. In this eBook, you will learn the four essentials that can change your perspective of work, your workplace, and most importantly, your heart.
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