There’s a scene from the movie “City Slickers” in which the real cowboy, Curley, has some advice for the would-be city slicker cowboys who seemed to be living lives of confusion without being dedicated to anything. Curley just held up his index finger and told the boys they needed to learn this lesson. When pressed he told them that their lives would be meaningful when they decided what was important and dedicated their lives to that one thing.
The Bible is clear on teaching this precise principle only it is not arbitrary on what the “one thing” needs to be. It needs to be God and His kingdom.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) — 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Psalm 27:4 (ESV) — 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
When Jesus said to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” he meant diligently and continually. This is a lifestyle commitment as seen in the example of David in Psalm 27 above.
How does one do that? It means we have determined that God and His kingdom is our priority so that we order everything in life around God, His word, and His service. The result is that we mold our thinking by God’s word so that we begin to think as God does on every issue and decision. We are not left alone on this effort because the Holy Spirit is our guide and helper, and this is His priority in working out our sanctification. `
Jesus added more fuel this this “one thing” concept when He was asked about the most important commandment.
Mark 12:28–31 (ESV) — 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is impossible outside of being born again and impossible to achieve on our own. Thanks be to God for the working of the Holy Spirit to draw us to confess our need of the Lord Jesus Christ, to believe on Him alone for salvation, and to seek to walk in newness of life by the same power that raised Christ from the dead – the Holy Spirit. Focusing in on God, His kingdom, and righteousness is to love Him with all that is within you. To be focused like that will not only give purpose to your life in all things but will open the door for God to take care of the things which might be the cause of our many anxieties.
Look at the context of Jesus telling His disciples to focus on what is really important:
Matthew 6:24–34 (ESV) — 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
There is room for but one thing at the top of your priority list. When a person tries to squeeze more than one thing at the top, everything suffers. On the other hand, when God is the focus He shows us how to align other things so nothing falls through the cracks, and He gives us wisdom and provision to cover what we think we shall lack unless we focus on it.
This setting God as the number one priority takes effort and discipline which is how the apostle Paul described it and how Jesus found some people didn’t want to live, giving God the first priority.
Philippians 3:14 (ESV) — 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Luke 9:59 (ESV) — 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
Luke 9:61–62 (ESV) — 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
When we get “the one thing” right, and we apply the diligence and discipline to continue in that pursuit, the result is joy in the presence of God. Hence David said it was worth it just to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and in His presence is fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:11 (ESV) — 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
