Living an Intentional Life

2020 for me is a year of intention. Living on purpose, for purpose and with purpose. With my new resolve, every action or word this year should be driven from that. But what an otherwise elusive word; purpose. I mean, without defining the purpose, purpose itself can be intangible. The word is defined as “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” Still a bit intangible if you don’t define the reason. So, I sat down to define the purpose of 2020. What reason did I want the actions of 2020 to be done for?

For the Glory of God.

That’s noble, right? This concept, for the Glory of God, is one that, we as Christians feel, encompasses our entire day—or at least should—and for the most part that’s true. We live our daily lives in the presence of the Father, knowing that we’re safely nestled in His Hand. We try hard to live in peace and to bring peace to others.

But when I looked up glory, so I could define it more clearly and figure out what 2020 would look like, I was struck by a single word within its definition that is anything but peaceful.

Glory means: “high renown or honor won by notable achievements”

Winning isn’t peaceful. There’s always a loser. Games are won. Competitions are won. Jobs are won. Arguments are won. Wars are won.

When I reflect over Bible verses that depict the high respect and great esteem that God has earned from every corner of the earth through His notable achievements, I see war! I see God conquering anything that needed to be told, or reminded of who He is and of His Might.

But where does that leave us in defining how 2020 should be lived as a year of Glory?

I made a list of things I hadn’t yet accomplished during 2019 and next to each item I jotted down what particular glory I thought it might add to the Lord if the task were completed. What would that thing show others about the character of God? Now I had my PURPOSE.

2020 would be a year of deliberately demonstrating to others the character of the Almighty!

I recalled the definition of glory meant “… won by notable achievements.” Not just any ol’ achievements, but ones worthy of attention. Achievements won in battle.

Does this mean I have to fight and claw my way through? Yes, and no. Ephesians 6:12 tells us: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (KJV)

The powers of this world are at war. They take their commission very seriously. Keep the Glory of God hidden at all cost. We are, whether we admit it or not, in this war, fighting against them. Our Great Commission is to present the Glory of God to a dying world by way of His Redeemer, Jesus the Messiah.

Colossians 3:23 tells us “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (NIV)

Doing whatever’s on our lists in 2020 for the Glory of God and with all our hearts means we aren’t fighting people to get the tasks done; we’re fighting hidden forces that wish to keep the Glory of God’s Might from the eyes of the world. We have to be brave enough to fight against those dark powers who keep us blinded and living an ordinary, mundane, daily life without completing any real achievements. We have to be brave enough to complete the task God has set before us. We have to be brave enough to show the world who God is. Each task, then, becomes a conquest and with each conquest checked from our list another merited achievement is recognized by the world and shines a spotlight on the character of our precious Lord and Redeemer, Jesus.

Who knew that simply making a bucket list could become a war cry? Are you up for the battle in 2020? What are some things on your list that will help our lost world take notice of God?

About Dina Preuss 1 Article
I am a Jewish believer in the Messiah, Jesus and though I have poetry published, I’m an aspiring novelist who writes Biblical Fiction from a Jewish perspective with the hope of bringing some of our rich heritage and deep traditions to life for my readers. I also write a blog and Jewish articles for a Jewish audience and my hope is to reach my people with the Good News. Like most creative souls, I also enjoy other aspects of art and creativity as well. I have a heart for my hometown, Kansas City, Missouri, but I absolutely love being a transplant to Northern California near Sacramento with my wonderful husband, Ed. I moved here in 2006 and I love the region and the people and have made this my home. I’m an empty-nester with three grown sons, two step-sons and so far, nine grandchildren who keep me busy. I love to travel, to daydream, and to write. I've lived in other countries and still hope to visit more. I love to read as a way of learning and usually have a book with me everywhere I go. I’ve been an Inspire member since 2010 and am happy to give back by serving our members as the Inspire Events Director.

8 Comments

  1. This is such a great message. One that is timely for me. I have been actively seeking and pondering these same things & wondering how to prioritize all that my heart wants to accomplish for the glory of God. Thank you for this. I too want to bring attention GOD by my work as a writer and artist.

    • Tonia, thank you for your comment. I hope and pray that God helps you set your priorities in a beautiful way. I’m looking forward to hearing about what you do this year. <3

  2. Dina, This is one of the best inspirational messages I’ve seen this year. I love love your purpose and giving us a new perspective about “won by notable achievements.” Thank you for this food for thought.

  3. Thank you for this message; I too have been trying to make sure I have my priorities straight for this new year! That is very interesting to know about glory being won. That definition really helps me picture doing something to honor God, not just sitting back and waiting for glory to just happen. Happy 2020!

    • Hi Heather. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. “… doing something … not just … waiting for glory to happen.” Perfectly stated. Happy priority planning!

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