"One Thing"

Have you ever wondered what kind of impact you have on other people’s lives? What kind of impression are you leaving behind? What would be said of you when your eulogy is read? There are times when we get to catch a glimpse into the hearts of those around us. We get to see how they truly feel about us. But more often than not, we are left wondering...Did I live out the life I wanted? Did I represent the “One Thing” I wanted?

We must first learn to define our “One Thing”. Whether we realize it or not, we all have that “One Thing” that is more important to us than any other. For some it may be a person. For others, it may be an object, a hobby, an obsession, etc. But everyone has something that consumes their heart, mind, time & money more than anything else. I know what I want my “One Thing” to be. For me, that is easy ~ Jesus Christ. I want to love Him, serve Him, honor Him in everything I say and do. I want to represent Him in my speech, in my actions, in my daily walk through life. I want people to see Him when they look at me. I want it to be abundantly clear what my “One Thing” is. I don’t want anyone to ever have to wonder where I stand on an issue or what I think about something. I want it to be known that the Bible is my only answer book and my guide to living.

I want to challenge you to first determine what your “One Thing” is. What (or whom) do you most want to represent? After you have discovered your “One Thing”, then begin to live it out. Make your life a true representation of who you are and who you want to become. God tells us in Revelation 3:16, “ So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Are you hot for God? Do you represent Him in everything you say or do? Don’t be lukewarm. Don’t give Him just your lip service, or just part of you. Don’t just give Him Sunday mornings, or a quick shout out whenever you are in desperate need. Don’t get caught at the end of your life with regrets that are too late to rectify. Don’t get caught having to spend an eternity separated from God because you would not make a stand now. Choose today your “One Thing” and live it out proudly!!

Obedience

When was the last time you knew that you were supposed to do something, yet for a vast array of reasons, you chose not do it? Yes, I just said the dreaded word – chose. Notice I didn’t just say “…yet for a vast array of reasons, you didn’t do it.” Sure, the reasons might each be respectable and valid, thus justifying your decision. However, it is still a decision. It is still a “choice”. Instead, I said the word “chose”. We often don’t stop to realize that all of our actions – or lack of actions – are choices.

We are continually being bombarded with choices. We choose everything from the seemingly mundane and insignificant to the most controversial. What will I wear today? What will I eat today? Will I drive or will I walk? How is my attitude? What are my most secretive thoughts – those of which only I am aware? Oh wait…but I am not. God knows them too!! Yet if I don’t allow myself to be conscientiously aware of His knowledge and interest in me, I can think whatever I want, whenever I want!! And so the dreaded cycle goes. We choose to do what we know is right or we choose to be disobedient. Whether we want to admit it or not, everything we do – or don’t do – is our choice.

I have recently faced this dreaded dilemma in my own personal life, trying to spin and justify my actions (or lack thereof) in anyway that seemingly allows me to get away with my own disobedience. God has placed something on my heart for a really long time that He wants me to do, but I am constantly trying to explain away my choice to not do what I know He has asked of me. In my mind, the reasons that I have given are completely valid and therefore justified. However, deep down I know that it really does not matter what reason I set forth, it is never okay to disobey God!! So with this realization and understanding, and my desire to please Him over my over-zealous ability to rationalize away my disobedience, I choose today to make different choices. I choose to be obedient!!

What has God asked you to do in your life that you have not yet chosen to do? Will you join me in living out Joshua 24:15? We must each choose for ourselves today whom we will serve. I choose to serve the Lord, knowing that in that choice I must also choose complete obedience – even when I don’t feel up to the challenge!!