“This one thing I do…”. Paul the Apostle, Philippians 3:13
Have you ever tried to focus your eyes on two things at the same time? It’s impossible! In order to focus on one thing, we have to let the other focal point go. Often as leaders we can feel an inner drive to be great at everything we do. Whether it’s raising our kids and running our home, as well as leading our ministry and reaching friends at work, we want to give our all to it all! Life can pull us in so many different directions that at times we get left feeling spread thin. We can often spend our time distracted by the ‘urgent’ and miss the ‘best’ that God has for us.
We need singular focus.
The good news is that Jesus has made our mission uncomplicated. He isn’t impressed by our many tasks, goals and accomplishments. He’s looking for lovers. We must not forget that the calling of our lives is simply to love Him passionately and completely, and let His love spill over onto the people He has surrounded us with. Like the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan, we mustn’t get so busy reaching our ministry goals that we forget to love and help the person in need right in front of us.
Heidi Baker sums it up in this way: “Ministry is simply loving the person in front of you. It’s about stopping for the one and being the very fragrance of Jesus to a lost and dying world. It’s not complicated. Just love the one in front of you.”
So, may we live our lives focused on what truly matters to the heart of God, and may we always stop, with love, for the one.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40