The One Thing
I believe that every year that God gives us on this earth is to be a year where we are as productive as we can be for His work and as pleasing as we can be for His glory. The longer you live the more you realize just how fast the years go by and just how important it is to maximize the potential of each year for being what we ought to be and doing what we ought to do.
What were your expectations for 2019? Did you make and keep your goals? We often come to the end of one year with the same baggage we carried in the year before. We’re no further along in our spiritual lives, physical lives or our vocational lives than we were the year before.
I believe one of the reasons for this is because we try to do too much! In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul says “there is one thing I do…” That one thing is having a relationship with the living God and growing in that relationship.
Paul gives a candid admission which serves as a great starting point for making your life better on a daily basis. He states that he has not yet arrived spiritually. He doesn’t have it all together! Though he has done a lot, there is still more to do. Though he’s been to a lot of places to minister, there are still more places to go. Though he has reached a lot of his potential, he has not reached it all. It doesn’t matter how old you are, as long as you are drawing breath on this earth there are always more lessons to learn, principles to apply, and room to grow!
Everything we do; how we conduct ourselves in our families and in public; how we spend our time and money; how we serve the Lord--should all be done with the mindset, “I’m going to stand before the Lord and give an account someday; I want to be pleasing unto Him.”
CHURCH CHALLENGE!
In light of Paul’s instruction, I am asking everyone in the church to commit to reading through the Bible in 2020. I am asking you today to say, ''This one thing I am going to do.'' This is one thing I have never done, but I am going to do it this year. This is one thing the devil does not want me to do, but I am going to do it this year. For some of you who think reading your Bible through in a year is too daunting a task, it’s too big of a book, you don't like to read, you don't understand what you’re reading… take all of those excuses and write over them one word - determination. Ask for God’s help and make a point of saying, 'if I don't do anything else, this one thing I will do.''
To assist you in your Bible Reading, go to www.biblegateway.com - click on “Study” and then select a reading plan (I recommend chronologically). Once you create an account, they will send you a daily reminder with the reading for the day to keep you on track. You can also download the app and access it on your phone.
Will you commit to this “ONE THING?”
Press On!
Pastor Brian Richard