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LIVING BY
DESIGND I
P O O L U Y O M I
Among a number of
dictionary definitions for it,
the word ‘design’ means:
‘to intend for a definite
purpose.’
This definition suggests
that behind every design,
there is forethought. A reason for the
design being conceived in the mind of
the person designing it. A designer of
any sort designs with the intent that
his or her idea will result in a certain,
definite outcome. That is, something
tangible will come into existence.
DESIGN
God intends for a definite purpose.
He doesn’t do anything just for the
sake of it. The very universe, the
cosmos and world we all live in, were
created by God with intent for a
definite purpose.
Revelation 4:11 says: “You are
worthy, our Lord and God, to receive
glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will
they were created and have their
being.” (NIV)
God’s intent is commensurate with
His will. The will of God is exercised
in His divine plan for mankind as
conceived in His ‘mind’. This leads us
to another dictionary definition of
‘design’.
‘Design’ is also defined as ‘to form
or conceive in the mind’. A ‘design’
being conceived in the ‘mind’ of
the designer indicates that it’s an
intentional and deliberate act. ‘Design’
is therefore premeditated – ‘thought
out beforehand’.
We are all conceived in the mind of
God, in His will and according to His
good pleasure.
God knows each and every one of
us intimately and sets us apart for His
purpose from the foundation of the
earth.
DEFAULT
So we see that ‘design’ is intentional
and deliberate. The concept of
something being in ‘default’ however,
is the complete opposite. According
to Dictionary.com a ‘default’ is:
“… a value that a program or
operating system assumes, or a
course of action that a program or
operating system will take, when
the user or programmer specifies no
overriding value or action.”
A ‘default’ therefore occurs when
there is an absence of control: where
there is no intentional or deliberate
effort to prevent a primary action
from occurring. It’s actually inaction
or neglect, doing absolutely nothing,
letting things just happen, without
resistance.
Where there’s no intentional or
deliberate effort in the face of a given
set of circumstances or situation,
where there is no overriding action
taken, then the ‘system’ assumes
one. Whether it’s a computer system
or any system for that matter, it
effectively goes into default mode.
This is why when a person or even
a nation owes money to a debtor (like
a bank, mortgage lender or the World
Bank, for example), and doesn’t pay it
back, they are in arrears, and are said
to have ‘defaulted’ in their payments.
They haven’t taken the necessary
actions to pay the monies owed,
they’ve neglected to pay. They are in
default.
What is interesting is that defaulting
in life, doesn’t only occur in financial
terms. One can live life in default
mode through inaction or neglect.
Simply sitting at home, doing nothing,
taking little or no action on the issues
of life is living a life in default mode.
But there are consequences.
ARE YOU LIVING BY
DESIGN OR BY DEFAULT?
If we want to live life by design and
not by default we must take action:
overriding action that is the result of
deliberate and purposeful thought,
applied to the particular situations
that we want to gain control over.
In order to live a purposeful life,
continues on page 16
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THE WINNING WOMEN MAGAZINE | MADE FOR GREATNESS