The One Thing (Philippians 3:13-14)

Billy Crystal is an American comedian. One of his more successful and memorable movies was City Slickers. In the movie, Mitch (played by Crystal) and his two other friends are experiencing a midlife crisis and decide to participate in a cattle drive to find themselves. The trail boss is a gruff and hardened cowboy known as Curly. During a reflective moment, Curly makes a shrewd assessment of Mitch and why people like him all come to this cattle drive at this stage in their lives. They are all looking to find an answer to life’s problems.

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [points index finger skyward] This.

Mitch: Your finger?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean anything.

Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?"

Curly: [smiles and points his finger at Mitch] That's what you have to find out.

By the end of the movie, Mitch and his friends have each found that “one thing”. For Mitch, it was his family.  

Man is always seeking answers to life. But if the answers lead one away from God, it will only lead to frustrations and dead ends. King David also was seeking one thing in his life. He wrote a psalm to capture his longing to be with God.

One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4

David knew that his earthly kingdom was only a temporary one. His temple would be in Heaven and he was eagerly seeking and anticipating God’s beauty to behold His glory when He arrived there someday.

David’s son, Solomon, was acknowledged as the wisest, richest, and most powerful man in the known world during his reign. And yet, at the end of his life, he realized the futility of his pursuit of so many different activities and summed up his entire life experiences with this one statement:

And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:12-13.

The Apostle Paul also was seeking one thing in his life. He let go of his past and focused entirely upon following his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Our Lord Jesus Christ knew the importance of distilling God’s Word to it’s essence.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6

The world will instruct us to be strong, to trust oneself, and to think positively. All of these have some truth but ultimately will focus your energy and efforts to pleasing and satisfying your own needs and desires instead of looking to please God and to delight in Him. The pithy statement of Curly may seem to point us in the correct direction to succinctly answer life’s questions. The real answer is far more profound and simple-Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11

This is the secret to life and the one thing that all men are seeking for, whether they realize it or not. Someday, all of us will face Jesus Christ and will acknowledge Him as Lord. Today is the day to seize the opportunity and invite Jesus Christ into your heart.

AMEN!