Living with Intention

Cover Article

by Michael Jones · Week of January 25, 2026

It is easy to drift through life spiritually. Days fill up with responsibilities, distractions, and routines, and before we realize it, our faith becomes something we fit in rather than something that shapes everything else. Scripture calls Christians to something better and more purposeful. Paul writes in Colossians 3:1–2, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Those words invite believers to live with intention, ordering daily life around God’s priorities rather than allowing spiritual drift to set the direction.

Living with intention begins with remembering who we are. Paul reminds Christians that they have been raised with Christ. That statement points back to the moment of conversion, when believers died to sin and were raised to walk in newness of life. Christianity is not merely an added interest or a weekend activity. It is a new identity. When we forget that identity, life becomes reactive. We respond to circumstances, pressures, and expectations without reference to God’s will. When we remember who we are in Christ, our decisions begin to flow from a different center.

Paul’s instruction to “seek the things that are above” does not mean withdrawing from everyday responsibilities or ignoring earthly concerns. Instead, it means allowing heaven’s priorities to shape how we live on earth. Seeking the things above involves valuing what God values. It means caring more about faithfulness than popularity, integrity than convenience, and eternal outcomes than temporary success. When our hearts are oriented upward, our earthly lives are transformed.

Setting our minds on things above is an intentional act. Minds do not naturally stay focused on God without effort. They are constantly pulled toward worry, ambition, entertainment, and comparison. Spiritual drift happens quietly, often without deliberate choice. Living with intention requires conscious redirection. It means regularly asking whether our time, energy, and attention reflect the priorities of Christ.

Intentional living reshapes everyday decisions. It affects how we use our time, encouraging us to make room for prayer, Scripture, and worship rather than leaving them for leftover moments. It influences how we speak, prompting words that build up rather than tear down. It shapes how we handle conflict, money, and relationships, pushing us toward patience, generosity, and forgiveness. These choices may seem small, but over time they form a life that reflects Christ.

Living with intention also guards us against spiritual complacency. Many Christians do not abandon faith outright. They simply allow it to fade into the background. Paul’s words challenge us to actively seek and set our minds, not to assume that growth will happen automatically. Faith matures through deliberate practice and consistent obedience. Just as physical health requires intentional habits, spiritual health does as well.

There is also freedom in intentional living. When priorities are clear, life becomes less chaotic. Decisions are easier when we know what matters most. We are less swayed by cultural pressures or shifting opinions because our focus is anchored in Christ. Living with intention does not eliminate difficulty, but it provides clarity and purpose in the midst of it.

Importantly, living with intention is not about perfection. Every Christian stumbles. There are days when focus slips and priorities blur. The call of Colossians 3 is not to flawless performance, but to continual reorientation. When we recognize drift, we turn our hearts back toward God. His grace allows us to begin again.

Ultimately, living with intention is about alignment. It is about bringing daily life into harmony with the reality that Christ reigns and that we belong to Him. When we seek the things above and set our minds on God’s purposes, faith moves from the margins to the center. We stop drifting and start walking deliberately with the One who raised us to new life.

Other congregations are welcome to reprint this. It may be reproduced in another congregation’s bulletin or newsletter without asking permission. An acknowledgement of Orange View Church of Christ is appreciated but not required.

Bible Questions & Answers

Is it at least possible that some of the major world religions are right and that God is working in them too?

This is a thoughtful and increasingly common question. In a world where we interact daily with people of many faiths, it can feel narrow or uncharitable to claim that Christianity alone is true. Many religions promote moral behavior, discipline, and compassion, and many of their followers appear sincere and deeply committed. It is natural, then, to wonder whether God might be working through other religions as well, perhaps in ways we do not fully understand.

Scripture helps us approach this question with both clarity and humility. The Bible makes a careful distinction between God’s universal activity in the world and His saving revelation in Christ. God is the Creator of all people, attentive to every human heart, and active in human history. At the same time, Scripture consistently teaches that forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God are found only through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself spoke plainly about this. In John 14:6 He declared that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. The apostles echoed this teaching. Peter proclaimed in Acts 4:12 that salvation is found in no one else, because no other name has been given by which people must be saved. From a Christian perspective, these statements are not presented as cultural preferences or religious opinions. They are claims rooted in who Jesus is and what God has done through Him.

At the same time, Scripture also teaches that God has not left Himself without witness among the nations. Paul explains in Romans 1 that God’s eternal power and divine nature are evident in creation. In Acts 17, Paul tells the Athenians that God arranged the world so that people might seek Him, even if their understanding was incomplete. This helps explain why people in various religions may show genuine moral insight, spiritual longing, or reverence. Those qualities reflect humanity’s creation in God’s image and God’s providential care, not the correctness of those religions as systems of saving truth.

An important biblical promise speaks directly to sincere seekers. God repeatedly assures us that those who seek Him wholeheartedly will find Him. Jeremiah records God’s words, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jesus echoed that promise when He said that those who seek will find. Scripture does not portray God as hiding from honest seekers. Instead, it presents Him as responsive to hearts that truly long for truth.

This means that if there are sincere seekers within world religions, we can trust that God is capable of bringing them into contact with the gospel. Acts 8 provides a vivid example in the Ethiopian official who was searching the Scriptures and was guided to Christ through Philip. While God’s work may not always be as dramatic or visible, the principle remains the same. God is faithful to His promise. He knows how to get truth to those who genuinely desire it.

Often, God chooses to do this through people. He works through conversations, relationships, acts of kindness, and the witness of faithful Christians. Someone searching for God may encounter the gospel through a coworker, a neighbor, a friend, or even you. This reality should not make us complacent. It should make us attentive and willing. God’s promise to seekers does not remove our responsibility to teach and share. It increases it.

It is also important to distinguish between God’s patience and His approval. The fact that God allows people to remain within false religious systems does not mean He endorses those systems. Scripture consistently warns against idolatry and false worship, even when practiced sincerely. Paul acknowledged the Athenians’ religious devotion, yet he also told them they worshiped in ignorance and called them to repentance. Sincerity alone does not make belief true.

Ultimately, the Bible does not support the idea that multiple religions offer equally valid paths to salvation. It does, however, affirm that God loves all people, desires all to be saved, and responds to those who seek Him honestly. We can trust that God will keep His promise to seekers, and we must be ready to be part of how He answers that search.

Holding this conviction does not make Christians arrogant or dismissive. It calls us to speak the truth with humility, compassion, and urgency. God is working in the world, drawing people toward Himself, and He often chooses to do that work through ordinary believers who are willing to share the gospel faithfully. - MJ