Intend

Our days and weeks can be full of this and that. Sometimes we just do what we can to get by. Lives can be foggy and vague. Bland, frustrated and disappointingly magnolia. Blind action is sometimes worse than no action at all. Think before you act Go on set out on grand intentions before you take action. Leaning into an uncertain and pained new days, mean choices feel never more important.

2021 needs intention. 2021 invites each of us to choose well.

When I reflect on God’s intention it is blessing, provision and abundance. Original: first and best intentions. The record of Genesis 1 and 2 is clear in God’s planning that humanity enjoy the beauty, abundance and fruitfulness of creation. In the idyllic setting of the Garden of Eden, the first humans found a rich, fertile place, and humanity was intended to prosper in every sense. God provides an abundance of resources and means for humans to flourish. God’s intention was always our flourishing. This is enduring comfort.

As the writer of Genesis states early on in the story about the creation of humans, “God blessed them.” The word “blessing” or “blessed” is a central feature of the biblical story. Part of the blessing of a relationship with God is very definitely tangible, in-the-hand stuff. And these material blessings are thoroughly integrated with the other benefits of knowing and loving the Creator. Later, even in the barrenness of the wilderness, the people of Israel find daily provision from God, in the form of manna and water gushing from the rock. The abundant wealth of God’s creation is discovered further on in the biblical narrative by the people of Israel, when they finally reach the Promised Land. It is a land “flowing with milk and honey,” rich with all the ingredients needed to live according to God’s intention.

From the beginning, God perfectly provisioned the world for humans to thrive. His intentions are always loving and good. The good earth yields food when humans exercise their God-given ability to “till it and keep it.” God’s intent is that people would not merely subsist, but have good things in abundance. Human work and ingenuity are more than capable of developing God’s creation to provide abundantly for all people. In partnership with the Creator, we are to make creative use of the resources of the earth, growing and innovating, creating new products, improving on the original. There is more than enough raw material to go around. This is in stark contrast to the principle of scarcity that applies in post-Eden economics.

At our best, we humans have cooperated with God amazingly well in nurturing and stewarding His creation. The capacity to innovate, produce and develop is part of what it means to be made in God’s image. Our way defaults to survival when our creator and maker calls us to share. To partner, to collaborate and co-work with Him. His kingdom is life and His kingdom way is abundance. A scarcity mentality is not for a disciple of Jesus. He wants us to have a stewardship mentality of all that the Father has however differently and generously put into our hands. Our faith is not sight, and our believing will one day become sight!

We fail to remember what God has done and therefore what he is capable of doing presently. His intentions get lost in our getting by. Its why we read and remember, worship and remember, retell and remember. It is important to remind ourselves over and over how God has provided in the past. That could be why to remember is one of the overarching themes of Scripture, occurring some 269 times because God knows how easily we forget. Our definition and understanding of whatever scarcity and abundance mean are shaped by remembering who God is, what God cares about, and how God does things. And that shapes our faith, trust and confidence.

Jesus says: “put your resources in my hand and see what I can do with it.” In this act of trust, scarcity becomes abundance. Otherwise, all we end up holding onto is fleshy desperation. After the feeding of the 5,000, there are twelve baskets full of food. The leftovers of the abundance of the kingdom are far greater than the scarcity that this world offers. Often times abundance is confused with having all our material desires met. Scripture seems to indicate that abundance is not that, but being close to Jesus: giving Him what we have, and trusting Him to provide for what we need. Abundance is sufficient: it is enough.

This truth of abundance is difficult to apply to daily life. However, I am starting to think more about my daily bread and not worry whether I will have enough money for a nursing home. I am starting to think about being a spiritual being that will always exist, rather than thinking about dying. I am focusing on staying close to Jesus, listening to him, and obeying what he tells me to do.

So I’m holding out for God’s provision, flourishing and consistent word of hope. In 2021 I intend for more of God’s plenty no matter what may come. I intend to follow God well this year, or as Bishop Emma has invited: follow daily, speak boldly, care deeply and tread gently.

Choose well: intend greatly…

#2021WritingChallenge