{"id":1336,"date":"2015-11-16T12:34:28","date_gmt":"2015-11-16T12:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/?p=579"},"modified":"2021-06-28T10:46:40","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T15:46:40","slug":"the-power-of-intentionality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/the-power-of-intentionality\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Intentionality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conscious conviction<\/h3>\n

INTENTIONALITY\u2026is a powerful display of conscious conviction. At least that\u2019s how I see it. I am sure the dictionary would define it as a \u2018state of being intentional.\u2019 Those are always so helpful, so definitive and clarifying. \u00a0Don\u2019t you just love it! I would go further to even say that it means: I intend to do something, on purpose for a purpose<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Intend, intent, intentional all incorporate the whole essence of intentionality. We all have heard the expression: \u2018the road to hell is paved with good intentions.\u2019 It\u2019s sorta akin to: \u2018he\/she has a lot of potential.\u2019 But will they ever live up to it? So, will we men live up to our potential as a dad? \u2018I certainly intend to,\u2019 you say.<\/p>\n

Kingdom minded<\/h3>\n

But I think it goes deeper than that. Intentionality is focused, has a plan, a goal in mind. Being the best kingdom-minded dad requires dedication. It is not a random process; \u2018I\u2019ll do that when I have time to get around to it.\u2019 These are lives, souls that need your undivided attention. Do you ever stop to ponder over the awesome fact that God, in His infinite wisdom, chose you to be the father of the children He gave you? There was nothing random about that choice He made. It was with divine intentionality! Actually, before the foundation of the world, He ordained it. Scary!<\/p>\n

Examine the gospel. God intentionally sent His Son Jesus to disciple you with His life and save you through His death. HE GAVE! He is calling you to give yourself in the same manner to your wife and children; to disciple them for the cause of Christ. No amount of money in the world can replace YOU. He has appointed you as the patriarch and high priest of your family. To fulfill this role, there has to be intentionality on your part.<\/p>\n

Time is love<\/h3>\n

Time is love! What you impart to your children will go with them the rest of their lives. You can\u2019t be with them continually, but what you instill in them will. That\u2019s how you abide in their lives. It all starts with your relationship with your heavenly Father. Jesus made it clear. \u201cAbide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me\u201d(<\/em><\/strong>Jn. 15.4).<\/p>\n

So, be intentional about securing your relationship with Him. Look what He wishes you to know and trust.\u00a0 \u201cIf you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (v. 15.7). Prayerfully ask Him to fulfill His purposes for your wife and children through you in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Remember, He said all authority had been given to Him. Submit to this authority. Lay hold of it. In your own strength is a recipe for failure.<\/p>\n

Would He trust His precious gift of children to you and then leave you to go it alone? These children, your wife; they are treasures to Him. He intended to entrust them to you, and He intends for you to succeed. Do something radically intentional; be the dad\u2026on purpose! Right now; go to a quiet place, get on your knees and submit your fatherhood to Him with intentionality. It\u2019s the start of any man\u2019s highest calling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Conscious conviction INTENTIONALITY\u2026is a powerful display of conscious conviction. At least that\u2019s how I see it. I am sure the dictionary would define it as a \u2018state of being intentional.\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,107],"tags":[180,60,46,121],"post_template_type":[95],"pillar":[],"study_type":[],"acf":[],"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1336"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1336"},{"taxonomy":"post_template_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template_type?post=1336"},{"taxonomy":"pillar","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pillar?post=1336"},{"taxonomy":"study_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abidingfathers.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/study_type?post=1336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}