By Nickole Meierotto

Have you ever found yourself on autopilot? You’re driving home or to work and suddenly you realize you’re there but don’t remember the trip? Or you’re in the middle of a task and then suddenly you’re done and have no recollection of completing the task?

Sometimes my life ends up on autopilot, both physically and spiritually. I get so engrossed in minding the house and the family, the dogmatic repetition of the day-to-day operations put me into autopilot, and I operate as if there is no other function, no other purpose for my life, skipping blindly from day to day, not realizing how I got from this day or week to the next. And sometimes, there are seasons like that, where it all feels like a blur, the kids are little and the needs of the family and the home seem to blend from start to finish, moving from one sleep deprived day to the next. And sometimes, it’s not. The times that it’s not are the times that I need to reset and refocus my life.

I KNOW that the primary purpose of my life is to glorify my Lord and King. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” How can I glorify God in everything I do, if I’m on autopilot? The simple answer…I can’t. If I’m not inviting Christ into my day to day operations, if my focus isn’t on the reason why I do what I do, I’m not able to glorify God in my efforts. Will the job get done? Sure. Will the kids be fed and sent off to school? Absolutely. Will I be getting the next phase of the project done today? You bet! But it’s the intentionality behind what I’m doing that either gives glory to or detracts from my Lord.

So the question is how can I prevent myself from winding up on autopilot? How can I be intentional with regard to my purpose in life? I believe this starts with understanding sanctification. Many times throughout the Bible, God tells the Israelites or his followers to sanctify or consecrate themselves. But what does that really mean and how can being sanctified keep me out of autopilot mode?

According to Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, the generic or "non-spiritual" meaning of sanctification is "the state of proper functioning", so a dishtowel is "sanctified" when drying off a plate or cup and an oven is "sanctified" when baking my husband's favorite oatmeal butterscotch cookies. Spiritually speaking, things are sanctified when operating in the purposes for which God intended. You or I are sanctified when we are living in accordance with God's intended plans and purposes for our lives.

How do I accomplish living in accordance with God's intended plan and purpose for me? What does intentionality look like through the lens of ongoing sanctification?

For me intentionality through ongoing sanctification looks like disciplines involving Scripture reading, prayer and fasting, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, growing in grace and biblical wisdom, and above all abiding in Him, truly inviting God to do His work through me by being humble enough to understand that even the smallest task, when done for Christ, has kingdom significance.

Do you ever struggle with autopilot in your life?

What do you do to reorient your life around God's plans and purposes?

Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you (Joshua 3:5).

Nickole is a military spouse residing in North Carolina, a mother of 4 and recently became a grandmother. Between the family activities and homemaking, sewing, gardening, and random home projects, she's pressed to find a dull moment, but loves finding those still, small moments to connect with her Lord.