Intensions vs. Direction

          Shortly after getting my driver’s license I remember setting out on a quest to prove that I could get to where I needed to go and do so by myself.  This was partially attributed to the fact that I was a teenager but more so because I wanted to be a man, proving that I could do it alone.  I wanted to begin to establish my independence so what better way than to take a road trip somewhere I had never been before and then come back home all without the help of an atlas or map (keep in mind this was pre-GPS). 

As I began my journey, I believed that I could accomplish anything and that this journey would be life-changing and memorable.  Well, it was both of those things because over an hour later I found myself in some deserted town, literally in the middle of nowhere.  The sun was beginning to set and I knew I was in trouble.  I did what every good man does in this situation, which was sucking up my pride and calling for help.  I dialed my home phone number and waited for my mom or dad to answer the phone.  As I began to describe the situation to them, they didn’t laugh or ridicule me, they simply gave me a few simple instructions of how to get back home.  As I walked in the door that night, they didn’t push the issue because they knew that I had learned my lesson and that it probably wouldn’t happen again (at least not intentionally).

That evening taught me a powerful lesson that I was able to share with our students this past week.  When I set out that evening I had the best intentions of establishing my independence, proving myself as a good driver, and feeling like I had accomplished something.  As I started driving I didn’t plan on getting lost, know when I was getting lost, I just knew that I was lost!  However, despite my good intentions my direction ultimately determined my destination.  That evening taught me the important lesson which was that “Your direction, not your intensions, determines your destination.”  Our culture tells us that as long as your intentions are good, it doesn’t matter what path you take.  But the path you take trumps your good intensions. 

The path we choose with our families, faith journey, words and actions does indeed trump our intentions because it can guide us in a different direction entirely.  An example of this is desiring to have a deeper relationship with God, but when we wake up each morning we check our email, scroll through our Twitter feed, or favorite photos on Instagram.    

So my question for you today is, “Is your direction, not your intensions taking you to the destination that you desire to go?”  As you wrestle with this question think about the differences between intensions and direction, which will help guide you through this process.  (You could start by using these two examples which have transferrable phrases for every area of your life):

·       What are your intensions for your family?  Is the direction you are heading taking you to where you want to go?

·       What are your intensions with your faith journey?  Is the direction you are heading taking you to where you want to go?

            Over the next few weeks we will continue this journey through our Road Signs series which is designed to have us look at the road signs of life and provide students and their families with questions for discussion that connect to the lessons we are presenting weekly.  Our hope is that you will join us on this journey as we seek to navigate the road of our lives laid out before us while seeking to be attentive to God’s directions.