I’m so excited to speak at our women’s conference tomorrow about living, “The Sifted Life.” The title might seem unappealing until you learn the definition of the word, “intention”. It literally means to sift.
The idea of being placed in a colander & sloshed around doesn’t sound too fun until you understand the why behind a strainer👉🏽To remove unhealthy unessentials so that the essentials might remain.
Sifting requires separation, & you cannot live a sifted life without a shifted life. Living a life of intention requires a shifted perspective on what we allow into our lives - our homes, bodies, eyes, ears, schedules…do we let the clutter of things, flurry of activities or poor decisions regarding health or relationships sneak into the inner recesses of our lives? The more we do, the more our lives begin to lack intention.
When Joshua was 110 years old, he had a “come to Jesus” conversation with the people of Israel about living the sifted life.
I wonder if he knew that his time was short because he speaks with such vehemence & conviction? At one point, he peppers them with imperatives:
•So fear the Lord
•Serve Him wholeheartedly
•Put away forever the idols of your ancestors
•Serve the Lord alone
•Choose today whom you will serve
It’s easy to think about idols as trinkets they worshiped, but an idol is anyTHING or anyONE you trust to give you what only God can give!
If Joshua were peppering us with imperatives today, do any idols come to mind? Do we need a sifting so we may serve God with single-minded pursuit?
Maybe it’s money, social position, possessions, food, comfort, self-driven security…the list is endless but the bottom line is that taking stock of the perspective of our hearts is not a one & done task. If we seek to live a sifted life, we’ve got to inspect the things we allow entrance into our lives!
Oh Father, it’s so easy to let the woos of this world creep onto the throne in my heart that’s meant only for You! Holy Spirit, we need Your counsel & fruit of self control to live a life of intention. Help us put away the idols of our ancestors so we can proclaim like Joshua did in his last days, “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord!”
JOSHUA 24:1-33
LUKE 21:1-28
PSALM 89:38-52
PROVERBS 13:20-23
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