I shared a reel on Instagram this week about why reflection is the most important thing you can do to live intentionally. I know we like to think (and I definitely thought this for many years) that living intentionally means planning better, getting more done, or maybe even prioritizing the most important things. However, over the years, I’ve learned that the key to living intentionally lies in the power of reflection.
Throughout the Scriptures, I’m always struck by how often the word “remember” is mentioned. A quick search on Bible Gateway and I see in the Christian English Bible this word comes up nearly 300 times.
In Number 15, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you and you shall look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.”1
Intentional living is about holiness. It’s about seeking to glorify God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s about learning how to live in the Kingdom of God of which you are now a partaker. Following God’s commands and obeying Him is the foundation of the Christian life. His commands are good for us. His commands are life-giving and abundant. But we have an enemy who niggles into our thinking with things like, “Did God really say?” or “Is God really that good?” or “If He is who He is, why do you feel so sad right now?” We can get so mixed up in what we think, feel, and believe, can’t we?
This last week was a hard week for me. I have been walking through a lot of healing this year in my body and mind, but some weeks are still very, very hard. Last week the triggers were everywhere it seemed, and the grief was so heavy, and my hormones were working in overdrive. I just felt like nothing at all mattered in life. These are real and heavy moments I’m walking through. Anxiety is nothing new to me, but depression was my companion last week and it surprised me.
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