There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38
I heard a preacher say once that humans never drift toward the way of Jesus. As I have grown and interacted with more people, I believe that to be true. Generally speaking, we drift away from the things of God rather than towards them. It takes intentionality to move against the tide of culture and flesh.
In this story of Anna we find a woman who has been intentional with her time. She has focused on God for decades and the resulting life is beautiful. So the question is, what kind of life do you want to live? When you are advanced in years, what would you want to be known for? Actually answering questions like that are the first steps towards intentionality.
Take the next 10 minutes and write down the things you want to be known for. You can fill in sentences like this: ______ Is known for their kindness and generosity. Once you are finished, I want you to close your eyes and focus your mind on a future day where you are living that way. What kinds of things are you doing? What kinds of activities take up your time? Intention begins with vision, so imagine it.
By Aaron Bjorklund
