I saved the best one for last, friends. The one that takes the cake. The one that really matters. This is where we lay it all down.
First, here is where we’ve been:
- An intentional marriage is one in which we are actively working to improve the bond, the unity, of our marriage.
- Intentional parenting is a practical and purposeful plan to consciously instill values with our time and our lives, more than our words.
- Intentional friendship is friendship on purpose. It is purposely growing and developing those beautiful relationships that hold supporting roles in our lives and grow and shape us.
Intentional Faith is the capstone that extends to all of these. It makes intentional marriage possible, intentional parenting achievable and intentional friendship doable.
Faith in a God that is good gives vision in the pouring rain, courage in the very struggle and confidence in every step toward living an intentional life.
Faith magnifies brave.
The combination of the two are explosive. In my mind brave is the first step, the initial action, and faith is the heart work behind it all. Peter walked on water in Matthew 14 by faith, brave was getting out of the boat. The bleeding woman was brave enough to reach her hand out and touch Jesus’ garment, but it was her faith that made her well.
Brave and faith. A pretty awesome combination, these two.
But once again we ask, how do we get there? We get there by owning it.
Many years ago I remember my pastor saying that our relationship with Christ is a continuum and with each day, each decision, we are either moving closer to or further away from Him. Let that sink in for a moment.
While we know nothing can separate us from the love us Christ, our daily decisions matter. I want to spend my life, my days, running toward Him. And I am fully convinced I cannot do this on my own.
So how do we intentionally grow our faith?
1. Show up. How do you get in better shape? You show up at the gym. If we want to exercise great faith we must discipline our hearts and minds in the same manner. We must spend time getting to know God. I realize we are all busy and it’s hard to make time but I think those very words show how far we have been led astray. This is what we were given time for. The very purpose of our life, our time, is to glorify our Creator.
It has been said, how we spend our time is who we are. So who are you? Are you putting in the time to grow your faith? Show up, He’s waiting for you.
2. Keep Showing up. These tips are brilliant, huh? I’m serious though. There are times, usually when things are rough, that we find it is easy to talk to God, to ask for help. But He desires our hearts all of the time. On good days and bad, keep working this out. One ways I make this happen is by doing She Reads Truth studies. They are free online or you can order the absolutely gorgeous books. They keep me in the Word and digging deeper. Everyday.
3. Lean in. Even when it feels awkward, do the work of growing your faith.
I had the opportunity to speak to a group of 3rd through 6th grade girls at a little weekend retreat recently. It was so fun to re-live that phase of my life through them. They are still innocent, yet smart, so eager and hungry and not yet guarded. My goal was to show them what an authentic relationship with Jesus looked like, to walk them through awkward prayer, to let them know God is okay with awkward. And so we did. We prayed together and messed it up. We worried less about the right words and more about the right heart.
And days after that retreat I realized how much I need that in my own life. Sure, maybe not in prayer as much, but in faith, in training my kids, in loving my husband, in stepping out to do great things for Him. I mess that stuff up and I want to shy away when it feels awkward, hard or uncomfortable. I need the same brave I told those girls about. I need to keep seeking Him when I mess it up or am not sure how to do it right.
Grow your faith by intentionally leaning in.
4. Step. We’ve talked about it before, brave is a muscle you exercise. The more you do it, the more confidence you have to do it again. Faith is the same. Becoming a person of great faith is just an accumulation of a bunch of small steps. One foot in front of the other. Choosing faith over fear one day, and then again the next. There is no magic, just steps. So step. I promise, He will meet you there.
I don’t write this because I’ve perfected it, friends. I write it because I need it.
Just yesterday I began to plan my homeschool schedule for the upcoming year. I have a fifth grader, a second grader, one in kinder and a 3 year old who would prefer to destroy my house while I teach the others.
Here’s the thing with homeschooling, if by 18 years old or so I launch kids out of here that can’t find Guatemala on a map or have no clue what the Pythagorean theorem is, I have no one else to blame. There is a fair amount of pressure in that.
And then I started outlining activities – ballet schedules for the girls, the soccer schedule for three out of four kids, piano lessons, choir, and church activities. I started to feel like I might hyperventilate. I spent a couple hours yesterday feeling the weight of it all, wondering how in the heck I’m going to do justice to all of this and attempt to have a family dinner together before the year 2025
.And yet, I write about faith.
Somewhere around 8:00 last night it finally sank in. Stop being stupid, Katie. You are not enough on your own and never will be. He called you to this and He will equip you for it. Lean in.
I can’t do it on my own and thank God, I don’t have to. Let’s do the hard work, the heart work, of intentionally growing our faith, friends. I’m fully convinced it makes all the difference.
This post is part of a series on Intentional Living. Other posts in the series can be found here: Intentional Marriage, Intentional Parenting, and Intentional Friendship.
We’re tired of trying so hard to look spiritual all the while having a gnawing hunger for an authentic encounter with God.
And a big ‘ole hearty AMEN, my new friend!!
And I certainly get ya about the homeschool scheduling and needing to FULLY have faith that God is more than willing to guide each stroke of the scheduling pencil!
Looking forward to reading more here!!
Just found your blog and LOVE it. Thanks for writing so honestly, so real. Your tips ARE brilliant! I love #4 – Step.
I’m looking forward to reading many more posts. Thank you for sharing your heart.
Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comments, Alison!
Hi, Kate – excellent post here! I love how you talked about wanting to shy away from trying when we’ve messed up. I’m that way – recovering perfectionist and all. 🙂 But I’m learning to embrace the work-in-progress in me (and in others, too!). I also enjoyed the visual of exercising our brave muscles. I’m stopping by from CWB facebook page tonight, but I’d like to invite you to link this up with us at Grace and Truth tomorrow! Just stop by my blog and join in if you like, and if not, that’s okay, too. I just really liked it!
Jen 🙂
I really enjoyed this post! Great things to think about. I liked where you were talking about talking to the little girls, that age is so wonderful. You are right, they are eager and unguarded at that age. One of my favorite ages for teaching girls. I teach 6th – 8th grade girls and boys Sunday School. When it’s just us girls, they open up alot more, but are leaning more toward being more guarded by the 7th and 8th grades.
I just spent the last 1/2 hr catching up on your blog. I love reading what you write and it is so encouraging to hear that we all have similar struggles. I really needed to read your encouraging words on being intentional tonight as I have some struggles I’m going thru. Thanks for encouraging us to be Brave.
Thank you for reading, Fransisca. Those times of struggle are so tough but they also tend to grow and shape us the most. Saying a prayer for you tonight – that you will have peace and direction and guidance as you bravely walk through this. <3
I have come to your blog because I also read “She reads Truth”. I came across your name in the comments and read your article on “Intentional Marriage”. I loved it by the way! I love that you are a young woman who is willing to share her heart and mind with the rest of us. Today as I am reading about “Intentional Faith” again, I am challenged to grow and stretch- I need that!
As I am reading, I see you talking about Home Schooling. It is near and dear to my heart as my children are grown now, but I was able to home school them for a time. I have a 31 year old son who I home schooled for 5th- 7th grade and a 25 year old son who I did K-2 with! The timing was back in the 90’s and my husband and I owned a bakery on Long Island, NY. I wanted to home school so badly, but with the business it was not an easy task and my husband and I were not on the same page. To make a long story short, I was able to home school for those 3 years! I made so many mistakes, lots of stress, lots of yelling, lots of frustration………., but that is another story in itself! Because we had the business I could not continue to home school (A regret that I still feel so deeply), but I was able to put my children into christian school after that. My older son graduated from the christian school and my younger one ended up in Public school for 7th-12th.
One my greatest accomplishments was being able to teach my younger son to read! There was nothing like that feeling when he was able to read his first word, first sentence! The verse you posted at the end of your blog “To know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge” was our “Home School Verse”! It just brought me back to that time and how important I think it is for us as mom’s to raise our children in the light of eternity!
Now that mine are grown, I work as a preschool assistant with Developmentally delayed 3 & 4 year old’s! I love it! I have a lot more wisdom these days than I had back then when my children were younger! Children need people around them to love and guide them. It is my privilege to be able to do that. I guess what I really wanted to say is: please don’t miss out on the time you have to grow your children- teach them, love them, spend the time and don’t ever think that anything else is more important than what you are doing today! They grow so fast and your window of opportunity closes so quickly. With today’s culture, your kids need you to be there- present with them in the moments you share! Not just as toddlers, but even more as they become teenagers.
I applaud you for doing that- it is not an easy task, but as you said- “You are called and it is Christ in you who will equip you” moment by moment, day by day! (Remember that when the “Teenage years” are in full swing!) God bless you and your family! Keep fighting the “Good Fight”! You are an amazing woman and daughter of the King! Thanks for sharing your heart with us, and challenging me to never forget to keep “Leaning in and be intentional” be obedient even when I don’t feel like it! What an awesome God we serve in Jesus Christ! Thank you!
Thank you, Anita for taking the time to read and share your heart. I so appreciate your encouragement! I need that reminder to not miss out on the time I have with these sweet kids. The days are long but the years are short and I feel like I’m finally beginning to get a glimpse of just how short those years really are. Blessings to you as you continue to teach and grow the next generation!
I absolutely love the verses from Ephesians! It so important that we keep showing up and ready to hear from God. The deeper we go in him, the higher we grow in him.
once we show up… 😀
This is actually a great read. I love how you put “show up” and “keep showing up” as the first two tips. It reminds me how important persistence is that intentional growth means I don’t stop trying.