Intense & Intentional

I recall from our high school reading list, a quote from the book Animal Farm, “Don’t Work Harder, Work Smarter.”  It sounds like we should be indolent.  However, it is a lesson in efficiency and intentionality.

How often do we experience overwhelming feelings of fatigue, stress, and frustration?  The end of the process, far from sight.  Recently, training a co-worker, the new information became overwhelming.  There are important questions to ask before training or new ventures we explore:

1.     What is the starting point? (educationally, health, financially, spiritually)

2.     How do we accomplish the assignment?

3.     When does the assignment need to be complete?

4.     Why?

Layers.  There are layers that must be peeled away.  When the underlying layers are revealed, we discovered the most important objective.  The question, why?  The trainee was collecting information, some necessary and portions of unnecessary information.  I thought how often do we perform tasks or exhort unnecessary energy because we don’t ask, why?

The picture with sword to those spiritually, reminds us of the Word of God.  God is love.  There are levels understanding God’s word but the rudimentary fact is His Word is love.  The sword of God that is

For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12

Any individual unsheathed a sword, but only a skilled swordsman can fight in love.  Oftentimes, when we miss the why to situations our perception leads us to a long strenuous path.  For instance, a co-worker that is rude, hostile, and disruptive may be experience marital or health issues.  I challenge us, my friend, to ask God questions as I did with the trainee:

1.     What is the starting point or problem? (educationally, health, financially, spiritually)

2.     How do we accomplish the assignment?

3.     When does the assignment need to be complete?

4.     Why?

We recognized, the trainee could read the diagrams, copy information, and accumulate other information not required, BUT he didn’t know WHY the components were on the diagrams.  This question eliminated countless hours of unnecessary research, that caused stress, confusion, frustrations, and dissension.  The trainee, worked hard, but not intelligently, intentionally, which diffused his intensity.

My friend, God desires our lives to be intense and intentional.  Frankly that may require some education prior to commencing our assignment.  Oftentimes we simply quote scriptures, pray, aimlessly swinging the sword instead of know loving is patient.  Take time to ask God questions, we may discover our launching point is completely in err.  We will discover we will deduce wasted energy, stress levels, and wasted time.  We will see God allow our lives to become forceful rivers filled with purpose, direction, fluidity, and impact lives around us.  God’s Word is an Operating System and as we ask The Holy Spirit He eliminates viruses, downtime, outages, and navigates with the proper tools for each assignment. 

So whatever life presents to you today, Don’t work harder, work smarter!  Ask God these questions:

1.     What is the starting point or problem? (educationally, health, financially, spiritually)

2.     How do we accomplish the assignment?

3.     When does the assignment need to be complete?

4.     Why?

 

We may ask why am I spending finances on frivolous things?  Why am I investing exorbitant amount of time here?  Why do I have negative thoughts? The why reveals primary source issues instead of secondary issues. Why is transparency to remove complex questions to simple situations.

When we are willing to ask, why?  Our lives will become forceful rivers, filled with purpose, direction, fluidity, influence, and impact lives around us.  The sword given is love others with the wisdom of Heaven in each unique assignment.  Let’s begin to ask God how to utilize His Word with His intentionality today!