“Intent on one purpose.” This phrase jumped out at me when I read Philippians recently. Intent, intentional, intentionality. We throw these buzzwords around a lot, but what do they mean? Intentionality in the Christian context is organizing our daily lives with a focused goal.

One of the ways to help us understand the meaning of a word is to consider its antonyms, the words that mean the opposite. Some antonyms for intentionality are haphazard, casual, unplanned, accidental. A person who lacks intentionality is a person to whom life just happens. Passivity is the watchword. It is easy to get this person sidetracked and diverted. The old saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, you surely will get there.” comes to mind. As followers of Jesus, I think we can all agree that we don’t want to fritter our lives away, we want to live with intentionality.

Paul in Philippians 3 shows us the way to live an intentional life. There were things Paul needed to put behind him. He said it this way,“Forgetting what lies behind.” Philippians 3:13. He was referring to things in his past that could hold him back from focusing on his goal. Some of the things were positive things like his ancestry, his orthodoxy, having a fine intellect and outstanding education, excelling in his job. For Paul these good things offered the temptation to trust in self and not put his wholehearted trust in God alone. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:7

Some of the things in his past were negative things. Before Paul came to the Lord he had zealously persecuted the church. He gave hearty approval as he watched the stoning of Stephen. He arrested men and women who professed faith in Jesus. He may have been weighed down with guilt and shame, haunted by his earlier actions. Paul dealt with his role in these events by confession and repentance receiving forgiveness from God so that he could, …forget what lies behind…”Philippians 3:13.

"Reaching forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:13. The idea pictured here is of a foot race with the runner straining to get across the finish line. We need to be set free of what lies in our past so we can get in the race and stretch forward, intent on one purpose. A runner prepares for the race. Her choices are oriented toward her goal. She trains with weights so that she is conditioned to persevere. She eats the right food. She wears light running shoes and simple clothes that do not impede so that she can ignore all distractions and stay focused on the race. Intently pressing forward to the goal.

The goal, the target, the focus of Paul was to know Jesus. "Indeed I count all things loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:8. This kind of knowing is not head knowledge. It is not accumulating facts about a person. This is knowledge you gain from experience. It is knowing someone because you have been with them. You have a relationship with them. When Jesus called His disciples in Mark 3:14-15 He said, “I have chosen you to be with me.” And then He gave them some examples of the things they would do like preach and have authority to drive out demons. Their actions of compassionate ministry to others flowed from their relationship with the Lord. Their first and foremost calling was to be with Him, to know Him.

Do you want to be a believer who lives with intentionality? Do you want to organize your life — your calendar, your checkbook, your daily choices— around the goal of knowing Jesus? This is what Jesus laid hold of you for. Let’s get in the race and start running. Let’s say with Paul, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14. May we find joy in intentionality.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to live with intentionality with the goal of knowing You. Show me where I rely on myself. Unite my heart so that I will be a wholehearted follower of You. Bring up anything in my past that is holding me back, anything I need to deal with in repentance and confession. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Help me to cross the finish line with joy.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen