Have you ever woken up with this gnawing feeling: Life is moving fast, but I’m not sure I’m moving in the right direction?
I have. Many of us have.
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to stay busy. We fill our calendars with commitments, keep our heads down, and push through. But there is a difference between movement and meaning. The key is intentionality.
Without it, life becomes a blur. We drift through days on autopilot, chasing outcomes without ever pausing to ask: Is this what I was made for?
Living intentionally is about waking up. It is about choosing, each day, to align your life with what matters most.
Most people aren’t consciously choosing their life. They are drifting through it.
This isn’t because of laziness or apathy. We work hard, pursue opportunities, and stay busy. But activity alone is not direction. You can spend every hour of your day working hard and still feel empty.
Intentional living is the antidote to drifting. It begins with asking questions.
Without these questions, the flow of life will choose your direction for you. With them, you choose your direction with clarity and purpose.
Many think of purpose as a single goal they must achieve. In reality, purpose is more like a compass. It gives you direction, not just a destination.
When you live with purpose, it influences not only your biggest life decisions but also your smallest daily actions. You begin to:
Say no to good things so you can say yes to the right things.
Create a life rhythm that honors your values.
Make time choices that reflect what matters to you most.
Living with intention is not just about future goals. It is also about the present moment.
You cannot live purposefully tomorrow if you are absent today.
Many of life’s richest moments are missed not because we don’t have enough time, but because we aren’t fully present. We skim conversations while thinking about the next meeting. We eat meals without gratitude. We scroll without noticing.
Intentional living invites us to slow down, to listen deeply, to love fully, and to honor the importance of the moment we are in.
I experienced this lesson again on a recent trip with True to the Roots. We traveled to Guyana to distribute water filters to families in need through the Waterfall of Hope project.
Life at home was full. There were work projects, personal commitments, and plenty of reasons to say, “I can’t go this time.” But I kept thinking, If I say that service and compassion matter to me, am I willing to live that out when the opportunity arises?
I chose to go. To show up. To put presence over convenience.
In villages across Guyana, we met families who had struggled for years with unsafe water, trauma-filled pasts, and pain evident in their eyes. We listened to their stories. We encouraged them. We prayed for them. We sat with them, not in a rush, but in relationship.
In those moments, I wasn’t thinking about productivity or checklists. I was living out purpose. I was present.
For me, this experience was also a reminder of what it means to live out my faith. As a follower of Jesus, I believe that intentional living means walking in His footsteps—serving the vulnerable, loving our neighbors, and using what we’ve been given to bless others.
When we distributed water filters, we weren’t just giving clean water, we were offering dignity, hope, and the love of Christ made visible in action.
I thought often of Jesus’ words:"And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." (Matthew 10:42)
Purpose isn’t something abstract or theoretical. It’s meant to show up in how we love and serve the people around us—one cup of water at a time.
Intentional living is not about dramatic, sweeping changes. It is about small, daily choices that move your life in the direction of your values.
You can begin by:
Listening when it is easier to talk.
Creating space in your life for what matters most.
Choosing presence over distraction.
Each of these choices, while small, adds up. Over time, they form a life of purpose and meaning.
When I returned home from Guyana, I brought more than memories. I brought a renewed desire to live intentionally. Not just on a mission trip, not just in the big moments, but every day.
And so I invite you to consider this question: What is one small step you can take today to live more intentionally—in alignment with your values, your purpose, and your faith?
You don’t need to wait for the perfect opportunity. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You simply need to begin, because life is too precious to drift through. And when we live with intention, even the most ordinary moments can become filled with purpose.