On Purpose: The Power of Intentional Living

Today, friends, I welcome a guest blogger!  Christian Buckner is a friend of 20+ years, and I have personally witnessed his faithful and consistent walk with God. 

Living for God doesn't happen on auto-pilot; you won't accidentally arrive in heaven one day.  There's no 'fast pass' to bypass the long lines of the school of life, where God teaches us the things that we need to know.  As Christian shares from his heart--you've got to do it on purpose.

Intentional Living

Christian Buckner

Two words:  Mount.  Everest.  

What images do these two words generate in your mind, dear reader?  Give yourself a moment to imagine. . .

For me, these words conjure images of an extreme, oxygen deprived, cold, and barren semi-vertical waste land.  The image comes complete with trash from past expeditions, prayer banners placed to petition a god that can’t hear prayers and blowing in a lifeless wind, and grim reminders that not all of those who set out on the trek will make it back.  I hear the slow, air-starved trudge and monotonous, droning crunch of age-old ice that accompanies each and every summit-seeker’s step.  In short, the image reflects serious patience, focus, acute effort and stamina, pain, and suffering.

So, why do it?  Why spend the incredible amounts of money to travel to Nepal, hire guides, buy equipment, and face disease, risking life and limb, to reach a summit that exists at the same altitude that commercial air liners cruise?  Why would anyone do all of this just to stand in a place where one can only stay for a short period of time before the jaws of death snap shut?  Just for the view?  Now, that’s just crazy!  George Mallory, an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to the mountain in the early 1920’s, was famously quoted as replying to the question “Why?”  “Because it’s there!”  Unfortunately, George Mallory didn’t make it back.  His frozen corpse was found in 1999, and the ones who found it are not sure that he ever made it to the top.

For those who do climb this God-designed, awe-inspiring, and fear-inducing marvel, the view at the top—and the sense of accomplishment—is absolutely worth the struggle.

In many ways Heaven is very much like Everest’s peak –at least, the journey is.   To get there, it takes a life of intentional living. 

Twice in 1 Timothy 6, Paul implores his charge to “lay hold on eternal life.”  If I could rephrase it as a southerner, it might sound like: “Boy, ya gotta do it on purpose!” 

Living for the Lord is not, by nature, a passive thing, as much as people around the world might think.  In other words, spectators of the Super Bowl will not get a ring simply by watching their favorite team win – regardless of the joy that it brings.

The writer of Hebrews relays, in Chapter 2, vs. 1 - 3: 

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip.  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; . . . “

The word neglect in verse 3 is translated from the Greek work “ameleo,” which essentially means careless of or to make light of.  This can be accomplished simply by inaction! 

Philippians 2:12 declares:

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

The Greek work for trembling is “Tromos,” which is used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his or her own ability to completely meet all requirements, but does all that can be done to fulfil their duty.  Think: intense knee-knocking.  

Additionally, the phrase “work out” in the verse above implies activity, not passivity.   Do it on purpose, with intention!

Hebrews 12 says:

“12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14. Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled;”

There are a couple of active, doing things, to point out here: 

1.     “Make Straight Paths for Your Feet.”   Straight paths just don’t appear, whether in nature or a person’s life.  Sometimes you need get sweaty and chop down some wood to make your path!

2.     “Let It.”  The Greek work iaomai, contrary to the more modern English definition, is in truth an action verb:  to make whole, to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one's) salvation. 

3.     “Looking Diligently.”  How can one see the Lord without looking on purpose? 

In other words, the Apostle Peter admonished us in 1 Peter 1 vs 10, my saying:

“. . . give diligence to make your calling and election sure:”

            My dearest reader, are you making sure? 

2 Kings 17:22-23 says:

“For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

What sins?  Ultimately, they were not actively seeking what the LORD required and desired of them.  And, so, they were carried away as a child’s toy boat down a stream – the child having every intention of watching that boat go upstream. 

There is a well-known spring-fed river in Northeast Florida, called the Ichetucknee River.  During any summer day, one can expect to find well over 5,000 people just being “carried away” by the current.  While on vacation, this is not a bad thing; but, in life, if one wants to get to heaven, it is inadvisable to trust in the relaxing current of our world and its systems as a proper mode of transportation.

To further my point, does the phrase “I just got carried away” elicit positive images?  Probably not.  On a lighter side, the man “got carried away” and cut the grass too short or the girl “got carried away” and told one too many jokes.   On a more serious note, he “got carried away” and drank too much, or, well, you can fill in the blanks. 

Being “carried away” indicates the absence of “fight” or purpose.  It can get mankind nowhere, fast.  Think about a feather or a leaf on the wind.  Paul wrote to the Ephesians that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14).

Now, the bible doesn’t mention Esau’s relational proclivities, but does convey the lack of value, or the “neglected salvation,” he held for his birthright.  Hebrews 12 vs. 16 says that Esau was a fornicator, because he literally prostituted his birthright.   Unfortunately, this man “got carried away” by his need for sustenance – his “salvation” in exchange for a simple bowl of soup.

“Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

The word fornicator in this verse is translated from the Greek “pornos,” which is a person who prostitutes his body to another’s lust for hire.  So, Esau prostituted his birthright to the lusts of his own flesh for the “hire” of food.   Along the same lines of “getting carried away,” when a person looks at pornography (“pornos” being the root Greek word), that person is prostituting his soul to the lusts of his own flesh for the “hire” of pleasure, subsequently failing of the grace of God (Heb 12:15)!  If we want grace, and ultimately heaven, we must look diligently and live intentionally.

So, what can we do to live intentionally?   The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 vs 14,

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

In order to reach the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” one must understand that living easy for God makes life harder.  But, living hard for God makes life easier.  Living hard means that one must make a plan and stick to it.  I heard once, “plan your work and work your plan.”

The plan is to pray, read the Word of God, fast, live a holy and separated life, and serve fellow man faithfully in the Kingdom of God.  You might say, “I do all of that already.”  Fantastic!   The question then becomes, “how often do you do these things?”  Does a person pray when they don’t feel like it?  Does a person read only when they have time?  Does he or she fast only because of a corporate call to do so?  Do they live a double life – holy at church, but abominably at home? 

I am by no means perfect.  There are great struggles within and without - wars in the mind, body, and spirit which abound and sometimes end in defeat.  However, I’m encouraged to know that the Lord forgives and that He will always allow me to get back up after falling down and repenting to try again.  And, again.  And, again.

That said, one of my favorite verses is Romans 2:7:

“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:” 

This verse reminds me of my time in the Navy.  Occasionally, we were required to run a mile-and-a-half in under 15 minutes – slow by any serious runner’s standard.   However, to finish in time, one had to be focused on the finish line and push back any pains or mental desires to give up.  The finish line was the stop sign at the end of the course and, for me, that stop sign represented heaven’s gates.  Many times, I would imagine the Lord standing there in the gates urging me to finish with a big smile on His face.   In order for me to get there I needed to push past the “quit” inside of me and “press toward the mark.”  I wanted and still want to make it to heaven; to see my prize, the Lord Jesus my savior.   I would always finish the course in well under 10 minutes. 

So, ask any serious Christian what they would be willing to do to get to heaven.  Would their journey be similar to the trek to the top of the tallest mountain in the world?  Or, comfy and cozy, absorbing the blessings of God without a care?  

Me?  I believe that, whether my flesh likes it or not, to be a Christian is to be like Christ; insomuch as serving the Lord and living a purposeful life should involve a fair amount of struggle to achieve the summit called heaven.  If there is no struggle, there is no activity, and no activity means no reward.  He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb 11:6).   If there is no pain, there is no gain.   God planned it that way.

Heb 2:9.  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

2Co 1:7  And our hope of you [is] stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so [shall ye be] also of the consolation.

Phl 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Certainly and hopefully, during my journey, I will leave behind some trash - dead parts of me left on the trail.  I will have left behind that old creature and man of sin with its attitudes and hang-ups.   The trip can and will be cold, barren, and difficult to traverse.   Sometimes I feel alone or like I want to quit or fall asleep.   Many times, I have to shake myself from that slumber or complacency; especially when I hear things like: “few there be that find it” (Matt 4:17), or 1 Peter 4:17-18 when it says:

“For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

If I purposefully and patiently continue my journey, I will hear “well done, thou good and faithful servant.”  Why?  Because, “boy, I done it on purpose!”