Monday, April 04, 2005

One Thing

Two books are on my mind: Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald and It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys by Marilyn Paul. They are on my mind because they are on my shelf, and I need to read them. I need to read them because I need motivation and education about getting my life in God’s control. I bet I’m not the only one.

Paul wrote, “But one thing I do… I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). One thing? I’ve got a desk stacked with things that are calling my name. Opportunity left because he got tired of standing in line at my door behind responsibility. I am growing more aware that I want to do what is important sometime instead giving my time and energy to the urgent. And Paul does one thing.

I want to do his one thing. I know you want to, too. We both know that pressing toward the goal is not something to do instead of working to provide for my family, or responsibly doing my work so others can take care of their families, or being a blessing to my community. I do those things as part of pressing toward the goal. But sometimes I lose focus. Sometimes control slips out of my hands, and I feel driven by the goals of others that don’t have anything to do with the “one thing.”

Did you need to read this today to help you refocus on one thing? What do you need to let go of, and what do you need to reach out for, so that you can press toward the goal? What can your neighbors who are the South Yukon Church of Christ do to help you with that? We’ll press on together. We’ll do the one thing as group. That will help. That’s Life at Work.

1 comment:

JD said...

You are really talking my language here ... but it's all I do is talk. I do cull out things from time to time, but those spaces are not filled with prayer, reading, contemplation. No...they are filled with other unimportant ineffective things. The old saying is that "an idle mind is the devil's workshop." I can testify that that is true. It is also true that a "busy" mind is the devil's workshop as well. He stays busy when we're busy, and he stays busy when we're idle.