My 2024 Focus: Intentionality
Hello Friends & Happy New Year!
The new year has arrived and we can say goodbye to 2023! Is it just me…or are new years sometimes met with either excited anticipation of whats to come or maybe even some anxiety? Admittedly, I am a little nervous about this new year. Sometimes I feel like I even have a bit of PTSD from 2023. I guess some years are like that…filled with valleys and challenges. Despite that, it doesn’t make me any less thankful for 2023. I do feel as though the Lord really grew my faith last year. He was there at every turn, and I trust Him more than ever.
As I consider this new year, I am praying for God to give me strength and to make me brave. I certainly don’t want to live in the anxiety of the unknown. After a time of prayer, I’ve decided that I want to focus on living more intentionally this year. I always encourage my friends to pick a word and scripture to hone in on for the year! It is wonderfully comforting to have a goal to focus on from day to day. A yearly focus also gives you something to gauge your year on. At the end of the year, you can sit down and reflect on whether or not you were successful in living out your focus throughout the seasons.
Personally, I would love to be more intentional in several areas of my life. I felt that “intentionality” covered all of these areas without sounding too overwhelming. It was simple….in whatever I do, just be intentional about it. If I do my best to be intentional and diligent from day to day, then I should see some fruit from my efforts. With my focus also comes a degree of simplifying my life, so that I can focus on the things which matter the most to me. I feel like I’ve really zeroed in on what God wants me to focus on….Him, my family, serving and loving my community well and cultivating beauty wherever I go. This year, I’m prepared to be intentional about making my decisions based on this vision. I’m also committed to establishing the boundaries I need to in order to grow in these areas, as well. Three scriptures stand out for me as I start this year:
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
~Isaiah 43:18-19
It is great to remind ourselves that each year is a new creation set before us by God. Try your best not to bring the fears and anxieties of the last year into a new one. If we trust in God, He will make a way as our stories unfold. He will provide paths that we could never forge by ourselves.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”
~Psalm 37:5
Intentionality also requires that I trust the Lord with my commitments. I must aim to seek His Will in all things, ensuring that my goals align with what the Bible tells me to do and the overall building of God’s Kingdom.
“…and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
~1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
In this chapter, Paul is applauding the Thessalonians’ love for one each other and how well they care for one another. But then, he offers a little bit more wisdom and encourages them to aim to lead simple and quiet lives. When they do this, they’ll be able to better focus on heavenly eternal things. The example of their lives will further encourage those around them. This is what I hope to do. I don’t necessarily need to be the busiest family on the block. I want to purposefully set aside time for the nurturing of my family and the renewing of my mind, body and Spirit. This way, I’ll be able to better serve my community and the Kingdom.
I pray that by reading this post, you will be encouraged to consider how you’d like to move through your year. Know that God is with you through it all, and that He would love to have you grow in relationship with Him. Be brave, be fearless and be assured that the Lord of Lords goes before you in 2024! May this be a year of growth in faith, humility and love for all.
Happy New Year from the Bussey Family!
