Consistent Intentions.

Each person has defining characteristics that make them, them. I believe in order to understand your importance in life, you have to know those defining characteristics. What makes you tick? What is the driving force behind your actions? What are your goals in life? What makes you feel special about yourself? What do you need from others to feel loved? What are you willing to change? What do you NEED to change? What do you refuse to change because you feel it makes you, you? I agree with George Bernard Shaw when he said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

One day I was having a long talk with my sister and I was expressing my confusion and concern about the many scriptures that indicate that the Lord knows the intents of our heart and I wanted to know what the importance of truly praying for guidance was, when the Lord already knows what I should pray for before I do. I also was familiar with the doctrine that our destiny isn’t fixed, but is dependent upon our decisions. I operate on an intellectual level and this did not sit well with me. It did not make sense and I have a hard time doing things that don’t make sense. She did a fantastic job of explaining how the Lord knows us so well, that He knows what decision(s) we are inclined to make in a certain situation because of previous decisions and the certain qualities that we possess. Just like any new truth, this caused me to ponder on what the intents of my heart were. I want to know myself as well as the Lord knew me. Sometimes I feel like I want to change things up - make decisions that I normally wouldn’t. I’m sure the Lord is well aware of my strange desire to change things up. This is just one of many of my quirks that makes me, me. Everyone is so different, yet the Lord knows all. How amazing is that!

So, I also agree with Aristotle when he said, “We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” If we understand the true intents of our hearts, we control our excellence. Once we understand what we need to change and act upon it, we master ourselves. I want to be put in a situation and be thinking, “I bet the Lord is thinking I’ll make this decision because I am constant and the intent of my heart is to do good continually.”