Intentional LivingSample

Do you know the most precious commodity on earth?

It’s not gold, or oil, or even Amazon stock. The most precious commodity on earth is being valued—knowing that, as a human being, you have intrinsic worth.

That means the value we have as human beings doesn’t come from where or when we were born, who we know, or what we do. Our value comes from our Creator, who designed and made each one of us to bring Him glory.

The Bible is full of stories that establish how valuable people are to Him:

• He clothed Adam and Eve after they disobeyed Him (Genesis 3)
• He remembered and blessed Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16)
• He delivered the people of Israel at the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
• He restored the strength of Samson after he was humiliated and shamed (Judges 16)
• He listened to the prayer of Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18)

But the greatest way God established how valuable people are to Him was that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so we could be restored in our relationship with Him (John 3:16).

The more we begin to understand that God values people, the more we begin to understand that if we want to lead intentional lives, we must value people as well. When we see each person as valuable, we learn to put other people first.

In Intentional Living, John Maxwell offers five ways we can learn to put others first:

1. Develop a greater appreciation for other people
2. Ask to hear other people’s stories
3. Put yourself in other people’s shoes
4. Place other people’s interests at the top of your list
5. Make winning a group activity

When we focus time and attention to adding value to other people, it helps us develop a lifestyle of intentionality—and lead lives that share God’s love with the people around us.