Good morning, sweet friends! I want you to know you have been the object of my prayers lately and I’m so thankful for each and every one of you!
Y’all know this is the week we are officially launching my new Bible study on Ecclesiastes, Understanding What Matters Most, so I’ve been a busy girl – but not too busy to consistently have you precious girls on my heart and mind.
The message that echoes from Solomon’s heart to ours is a very important one. It’s life-changing. And I desperately want to flesh it out during the days I’m given to live this life under the sun. I want the same for you, sweet friend! Oh, how I want the same for you!
So, as I prayed over what I should be sharing on my blog for a season, I was overwhelmed with the reality of how temporary our earthly existence really is and how we only get one chance to really make our eternity intentional.
I know that we talk about having a Christian perspective, but we live our lives as if this is all there is.
So, other than a few intermittent posts where I will interrupt the flow of things to introduce you to someone new, share some news you can use or update you on what’s going on with the book – I want to take you on a 31 day, practical journey to reveal some ways we can make our eternity intentional.
Scripture not only calls us to live this life for eternity, but it also tells us how. The Holy Spirit not only leads us to live each moment for eternity, but He also empowers us to do so. The problem is, we get so busy doing this thing called life that our view becomes skewed and we forget that this life is not all there is.
What if we did what we already know to do? It’s not like God’s Word isn’t chock full of instruction! These 31 ways to make our eternity intentional will probably not reveal any new truths, but I pray it will encourage and challenge you to put some feet to your faith – to clear the clouds of your busy life and to inspire you to do what you already know to do.
Today’s challenge:
“For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?” Matthew 25:35-38
“For you have the poor with you always…” Mark 14:7
We see them almost every day. The homeless, the hurting and the hungry. While their eyes beg for help and they stare at us with the look of need on their face, we turn away and pass them by as if they are invisible. Perhaps if we don’t ‘see’ them they won’t ‘see’ us.
But they see us, sweet friends. And so does God.
Yet every time we give them food – Every time we take a bag full of groceries to the food bank or homeless shelter – Every time we take them into a restaurant and buy them a meal or into our house and let them sit at our table – Every time we journey into a homeless camp with a packed lunch and a loving heart we are not only doing it for them, we are doing it for Jesus.
You know, I often hear people say they are going to do some random acts of kindness, but today I want to encourage you to do some INTENTIONAL ACTS OF KINDNESS.
On your way to work today, look for someone in need of a meal and take them one. Invite them into a restaurant with you and feed them lunch. Let them share their story with you and find out how they ended up in such a place of need. You may be surprised; you may even be reminded that they walk in shoes that could be your own. Yes, it could be you with the dirty hair and growling belly in need of a helping hand.
Make your eternity intentional and feed the hungry today. You’ll have forever to be glad you did!
Do you have any intentional acts of kindness to share?
This is really good Stephanie (as usual, of course). 🙂 I love the “Intentional Acts of Kindness” idea. Oprah has nothing on you! 😉 And personally, I'd much rather sit and have coffee with YOU than Oprah any day of the week. Not kidding. 🙂
Shelly ~ You are such a sweet encourager! I'd definitely rather sit and have coffee with you too! Soon, sweet friend! Soon! 🙂
I'm right there with you Stephanie-I recently posted a similar blog. I try to have an eternal perspective on everything…it keeps my priorities in order!
Celeste ~ Thanks for taking the time to share that! I love how you linked our eternal perspectives to our priorities! I wrote about keeping our perspectives and priorities in the book too! Sometimes, keeping a heavenly focus is difficult we we are faced with the dailies, but as we constantly realign our view and filter everything through the lens of eternity, we can live for what matters most!
Thanks again for sharing that!! I hope you'll come back!