On Making A Mess Of Things...

I continue to be surprised by the messes I can create. Which, I mean, I really should not be all that surprised… we are talking about a flawed to the core, overly emotional, overly sensitive human being who lets her mouth run when it should be her feet running her burdens on over to Jesus. Am I the only one who can relate to this feeling of NEVER being able to get it right? I have the best intentions… but as the timeless adage says the path to a not so pleasant place is paved with those.

If we are all brutally honest with ourselves, the intention is not the most important thing. As a friend of mine reminds me during moments such as these, wisdom is proven right by its RESULTS, not by its intentions (unfortunately!). I would be one of the wisest people in the world if intentions were all that mattered. The thing that continues to stump, send me into a tailspin, and send me flying back under the cover of my Father is this fact: as much as we would like to lean on the crutch of good intentions, delivery and timing are irreplaceable. Our God is a God of order and He deserves a Spirit-led, discerning, well-timed people.

Our best intentions mean NOTHING if we try to take the place of God in a situation, if we try to do His work by correcting injustice, changing hearts, or just simply jumping the gun. His timing is always perfect…

So, this must mean that our intentions are not the problem. Our mouths are.

Think about it… good intentions + bad timing = a mess. Or, good intentions + poor delivery = a mess. Or even, good intentions + bad timing + poor delivery = pack your bags and move to Australia! Seriously though, I cannot coast through life on the basis of my intentions. If my intentions are honorable, but my words are haphazardly chosen, I change nothing. If my intentions are honorable, but it is not the God ordained time for those words to come out of my mouth, the situation gets worse instead of better. The good and shiny intentions get covered by the slime and muck stirred when I take it upon myself to step into a situation. And let’s all be real, God is SO MUCH MORE capable of fixing situations or dealing with people’s hearts and behaviors than we WILL EVER be. So, I am praying to learn (before I create another gigantic mess for myself) to restrain my good intentions (my desire for justice and fairness) with good timing and a Godly delivery.

I am so looking forward to becoming a woman of good intentions and good timing, a woman whose words and reactions always do justice to the motives of her heart.

That’s where I'm at on the journey.