Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. — John 20:30-31

This is the perfect summary statement to this Gospel (even though there is one more chapter to go). John is precise in why he wrote what he did. Why he choose every story he wrote. Why he recalled specific events from Jesus's life. It's so that we may believe and have life in his name.

The bottom line is that John was intentional from beginning to end. He was not aimlessly recounting events but purposefully guiding us toward belief and life. In a world full of excessive information, John's intentional focus begs us to consider our own spiritual intention.

Fellas, we must be more intentional in our spiritual lives, and John has demonstrated four ways to do this:

First, by Prioritizing: We need to seize control of our priorities before life’s demands seize control of us. John wrote this Gospel so we would know there is only one Lord. Now is the time to let him be the Lord of life rather than let this life be our lord.

Second, by Modeling: We model by moving beliefs from private conviction into public action. We must model our faith in Jesus everywhere and in everything and live on his mission. This means we need to be more intentional at work, at home, and in everyday interactions.

Third, by Mentoring: At some point, we have to move from ingesting truth to investing truth by mentoring others. As John has mentored us, we need to mentor others. This is not an option. The best place to start is to mentor our wives, children, employees, and friends. Remember, we are constantly being actively mentored, but it's not always by the truth. So, be more intentional.

Fourth, by Witnessing: We need to be more intentional with our words. Our words will either articulate our beliefs or conceal them. John used his words with intent. And so should you. In every conversation and platform you are given, you need to find a way to witness, even if it is subtle. Be intentional, and people will see Jesus in you.

If I were you, I would evaluate how you are doing in these four areas and pick one to work on—prioritizing, modeling, mentoring, or witnessing. And then give it a total all-in and all-out effort. Let’s strive to live intentionally so that through our deliberate actions, beliefs, and words, others may see Jesus in us.

ASK THIS:

Which of the four areas discussed (prioritizing, modeling, mentoring, witnessing) do you find the most challenging, and what practical steps can you take to improve your intentional living?

Reflect on a recent situation where you had an opportunity to witness your faith. Did you take it, and how did it go? If not, what held you back, and how can you prepare yourself to seize the next opportunity?

DO THIS: Choose one of the four to work on.

PRAY THIS: Father, guide me to live with purposeful intent in my faith, prioritizing Your will, modeling Your love, mentoring with Your wisdom, and witnessing Your grace in every aspect of my life. Help me to be a reflection of You that others might believe and find life in Your name. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Intentional.