Good Intentions

Proverbs 3:5-6

Most of us have good intentions… We intend to lose some of the weight we gained over the holidays. We intend to pay down the credit cards for the charges we made while buying Christmas. We intend to do better and be better in the coming year. A couple of years ago, in January, I had good intentions of improving myself in every way I could. I printed off the slogan, "Do Better" including the scripture Philippians 3:14. I placed my printed off slogans everywhere...in my car, on my desk, on the mirror, etc. I had really good intentions of doing better and being better. But by February of that year my slogan had become something like, "Hang in there!" Can you relate? It's much easier to hang on than do better.

Intentions… Preachers have preached for years that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. That sounds a little harsh but it’s true. Your doctor might tell you the road to obesity is paved with good intentions. Your banker might tell you the road to bankruptcy is paved with good intentions. Your marriage counselor might tell you the road to divorce is paved with good intentions. Your high school teacher might tell you the road to failure is paved with good intentions. Truth is, we simply don’t go where we want to go with good intentions alone.

As well intended as most of us are, without work, effort, sacrifice, paying attention to details, sometimes doing things no one else will do, late nights and early mornings – our good intentions are nothing more than good ideas. Intending to do something…and actually doing something are miles apart.

How many of us can look back at a list of things we intended to do but never
did? Maybe it was losing weight…Or maybe it was not gaining it back. Maybe it was spending time with our children. Maybe it was writing a letter we needed to write or making that phone call or sending an email. Maybe it was an apology. Maybe it was forgiveness we intended to give. We meant to but we never did. Maybe it was reading our Bible more… praying more… or getting closer to God. Good intentions are nothing more than good ideas if we don’t do what we intend to do.

For well over twenty years, Proverbs 3:5-6 have been my life verses. I have enjoyed them, embraced them, battled with them, at times ignored them....but over the course of all these years, I have found these verses to be wonderful promises, a great comfort, and a source of strength and help. Years ago, when I first read these verses and believed these words were from God just for me,...and I was convinced if I would do my part, God would do His. My part was to trust Him with all my heart…and lean not on my own understanding… To acknowledge Him in all my ways and He would direct my paths. My life, so far, is living proof of these simple verses.

Trusting God has been the greatest adventure of my life. Look at verse 6. Build a fence right down the middle of it. One side of that fence is yours and the other side is God’s. You stay on your side and do your job, and God will stay on His side and do His job. You can’t do His job and He can’t do yours.

Do more than intend to trust the Lord. Trust Him. And he will direct you. Michael