One Thing

As I was praying the other day, I had the oddest picture pop into my head.  Initially I felt like it was a distraction, but then I focused in on it.  The picture was of a Dr. Seuss character “Thing One.”  Of course there is also “Thing Two”  which was a distraction.  I paused a moment and did a search for Scriptures about “one thing.”  There were many and so I set it aside.  Then today I heard “one thing” again and set aside some time to go through the many scriptures to see what God’s “one thing” was.  I knew it was more than the cute little character from a beloved children’s book to the image in my mind.

What are the One Things that God calls us to focus our attention on?

Psalm 62:11-12   One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;  and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”

I don’t know which was the “one thing” that God spoke.  All three are true statements.  Power is His.  God’s love is unfailing.  He is a God who rewards.  What if for a moment, or forever, I allowed myself to believe that this is truth?

What if I really lived my life as if all power belong to God?  I might find that anything He asks me to do I am willing to step out and do.  When I am relying not in my power but His, no weapon formed against me will prosper.  What if I trust that His love is unfailing? I can step out knowing that even when I fail, God’s love never will fail.  He is not going to shrink back in disappointment at my humanity.  He is going to love me regardless because God is love.  What if I believe that my God is a God who rewards?  Then when circumstances come against me, I can rest assured that on the other side, He has a reward waiting for me that is good.  I can know that every good and perfect gift comes from Him.  

Mark 10:21Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

What if instead of focusing on the things I think I lack, I focused on what Jesus mentions?  The treasures that will be stored up in Heaven is where Christ directs attention.  So I could stop focusing on my insecurities and put my trust in the treasures that come from following Christ.  I wouldn’t be chasing the next big thing, because I would have the one thing that truly matters – a sold out life for Christ.

Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

What if I decided to let go of the past and live in today?  I could let go of past hurts and hang-ups.  I could let go of disappointments and personal failures.  Instead I could focus on the opportunities that God places before me as they come.  I could start moving towards the goal the Christ has put before me.

2 Peter 3:8-9But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

What if I stopped focusing on the length of the wait?  And instead, reminded myself that God’s Word never fails.  If God promised it, it will come to pass.  Instead of losing hope and growing impatient, I could focus on what God is trying to accomplish in the wait.

Thing one and Thing Two caused a lot of mischief when they were released from the box in Conrad and Sally’s house.  The Cat in the Hat eventually had to put Thing One and Thing Two back in the box to clean up the house before Conrad and Sally’s mom got home.  Maybe if I would focus in on God’s “one thing,” I could stop the mischief that I get myself into when I look at failure, my insecurities, the past and the wait.  Instead I could live a life empowered by God’s power love.  I could know that He will reward me with good and perfect gifts as I pursue Him, storing up treasures in Heaven where dust and moth will not be able to destroy.  I could run in freedom towards the calling God has on my life, and know that regardless of the wait, His will shall come to pass.