Avoid the Death of a Good Intention

 I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

─ Philippians 4:13 TLB

Only a small minority of our good intentions turn into something positive. It is estimated that 90 percent of our good intentions every day—9 out of 10 of them—either die a slow death, or a quick death. All day long, we have good intentions about our attitudes, handling our finances, our marriages or working relationships. We all probably have a long list of good intentions that eventually die.

You can avoid the death of a good intention by answering these three questions correctly as you decide to act on your good intentions:

1. What is this good intention going to cost me if I choose to act?

Now, you don’t ask that question aloud—you’re just thinking it through. Maybe you considered applying for a new job or going back to school to advance your career. So, you’re contemplating in your mind, This could cost me my relationship with co-workers, my time, my money, my comfort …. Then you begin to reason with yourself, I do a great job where I’m at, what would more school help anyway …. If you talk yourself out of it, your good intention dies right there.

But if the good intention survives the first question, then you ask the second question:

1. Can I do it?

As it gets into your heart, you can start to develop a sense of fear or anxiety and your emotions start to play havoc with you, and your good intention has a strong probability to die right here. Our verse today offers you courage to get through it and say, “Yes, I can because I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Then the final question:

1. Where in the world do I start?

Good intentions often die at the point of this question because we don’t know exactly what to do or feel overwhelmed in determining a starting place.

The answers to these three questions is, we must be willing to pay the price for those things that are right. We know that in Christ we can do all things, and the time is now.

Today’s One Thing

Ask yourself: What are some God intentions I’ve had that I pushed off or haven’t acted on yet? Take five minutes right now and go and do it. Then make it a goal to act on one good intention every single day this week.

Receive Devotionals like This in Your Email