The “One Thing”
In the movie, City Slickers, one of the characters named Curly is always mysteriously holding up one finger. Mitch, the character played by Billy Crystal, is perplexed by why he is doing this, and he is filled with anxiety about what it means.
Finally, at a pivotal point in their journey together, Curly shares with him that it is a reference to how life is really about just one thing. Billy, of course, is dying to know what that one thing is, but Curly shares with him that it is different for each and every person.
He points out that each person must figure out that one thing for themselves. When he or she figures that out, they’ll be able to focus their life on whatever that one thing is for him or her.
GOOD ADVICE?
This sounds like really good advice, and I know a lot of people who try to live by this philosophy.
They’ll say, “My life is about my spouse, my kids, or my family.” And they will attempt to focus their lives on providing for, supporting, or encouraging that person or those people. It’s a noble effort.
I’ve heard people say, “My life is about my job, or my customers, or my employees.” And they’ll pour their lives into their work and serving their customers or employees. Again, it’s tremendously thoughtful to live for others.
The problem is, what happens when something goes wrong in those situations? When a spouse wants a divorce, when children rebel, or when customers or employees aren’t loyal.
What do you do then? That’s been your life, and now your life is being uprooted all around you.
YOU ARE NOT THE SOURCE OF YOUR LIFE
Here’s the truth: Life is not whatever we want to make of it. We are not the source of our own lives. We have a Creator.
The Creator of all things is the authority on all things. Life is derived from Him. He is meant to be the Source of our life.
The apostle Paul understood this.
For Paul, his one thing used to be the law. He was a Pharisee, and his whole life revolved around following God’s law. And he was good at it.
In Philippians 3, Paul says…
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
Paul found his identity in being a Jewish Pharisee, and he was trying to find his life by carrying out the law and persecuting anyone who disagreed about that being the one thing life was truly about.
But then Jesus intervened. Paul had an encounter with Jesus (Acts 9), who showed Him what life was really about. It changed Paul’s life.
THE ONE THING
After sharing about the one thing that he used to think life was about in Philippians 3, he went on to say…
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ
Paul came to know that the one thing in life is really Jesus.
Jesus above all things was Paul’s life. Not what he was trying to do now for Jesus. Life wasn’t found in ministry, sharing with others about Jesus, or in any other kind of New Covenant activity; no, it was found simply in Jesus.
Paul even said earlier in Philippians 1:21, For to me to live is Christ.
Jesus was Paul’s life. Jesus is the one thing life is about.
Jesus, Himself even said that He was the life (John 11:25) during His earthly ministry, and He was now revealing that to Paul. Now Paul was starting to understand Christ as his life.
CHRIST AS YOUR LIFE
I know a lot of people who know Jesus as their Savior. I know a lot of people who know Jesus as their Lord. I don’t know very many people who know Jesus as their Life.
Do you know Jesus as your Life?
He came to give His life for you, to put His Life in you so that He could be your Life and express His Life through you as you.
With Jesus as your Life, no matter what situations or circumstances you find yourself in throughout your time on earth, you will always have abundant Life.
Life isn’t found in our accomplishments, in other people, our work, or any other thing. It’s found in Jesus, and if you’ve said yes to Him then you have it. You’ll always have it.
