◄ This One Thing  ►

Word of God

It was Paul that wrote the following in Phil.3:13, 14: Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”   And in 2Tim.1:12 he wrote: But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until the Day of Christ.  While in Phil.1:6 he said And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ

Single Objective

This one thing I do. This ONE thing. There is strength in having one single objective.. an individual goal – a unique purpose. There is power in having a limited aim.. a distinct motivation – a solitary intent in life. Too many Christians suffer from attempting to juggle a variety of purposes. To many, however, find themselves chasing after diffuse aims.. or an obscure aspiration.

Buried Hurts

Too many believers allow the weight of past forgiven sins.. to inhibit their life’s purpose, without recognising their position in Christ – a position in Christ that has gained them complete acceptance with God. Too many are imprisoned with buried hurts.. hurts which the Spirit alone can identify and heal. Hurts which inhibits full fellowship with the Father. Hurts which can cloud pure communion with the Lord.

Individual Goal

But the apostle Paul here identifies himself as a man with a single aim. He was a man with a definite purpose. This one thing I do..  this one thing. One targeted objective in life is more likely to achieve than fluctuating between two purposes. One purpose has a man’s full attention, One motivation has a greater potential of being achieved. This one thing I do: this ONE thing.

Unique Purpose

So what is this one purpose that the believer should strain after? What is it that the believer should strain for with such determination? What is this single objective, which the Child of God should so determinately pursue? Should it not be to love the Lord with every fibre of our being? Should it not be to so love Him and to determine to obey His will from the heart? Should it not be to seek after Him – in our entire life, in thought word and deed? Should it not be to spend our life, to its very last breath, to glorify Him? Should it not be to have as our motto.. in Christ and Christ alone – and in so doing to fulfil His new commandment… “Love as I have loved.. knowing that love covers a multitude of sins?

Good for Best

But to achieve this.. we must renounce altogether some good things in the pursuit of the best. We must relinquish some of the urgent things in order to achieve the important. We must lay aside the weights that drag us down and hold us back from this one thing. We must allow the Holy Spirit to circumcise our hearts; our lips; our ears and our motives. We must let Him deal with all the things within, that hinder our progress towards His best.

Past Condemnation

First we must forget those things that are past. We must acknowledge that past sins have been forgiven.. and He remembers them no more. We must see ourselves as positioned in Christ – and seated with Him in heavenly places. We must finally stop beating ourselves for the past sins that have been forgiven.. forever.. forgiven. Remember, Child of God, there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus – none.

Bitterness and Forgiveness

Second, we must let go of other things that have plagued our past lives. We must empty ourselves of so many buried bitternesses.. and unforgiveness of the past. We must be healed of pain – pains that have remained entombed for years.. hurts that we think we have addressed, yet occasionally surface at times to bite us, like a rabid dog. Sins of others that may have impacted our lives, through no fault of our own. Remember Child of God: I am the LORD that healeth thee. I am the One that binds up the broken reed and the smouldering wick. I am One that calms the angry outburst. I am the One that brings wholeness into every part of life.

Spirit of Healing

It is only through the cleansing and healing of the Holy Spirit.. that we can truly forget the past… that we can truly be healed from the past. It is only as we ask Him to search our hearts and deal with past hurts, that we can be emptied of the hurts.. released from their condemnation – freed from their guilt. It is only as He empties us of the past that He can fill us with Himself. It is only as we clean out the deep recesses of our mind – that He and His love fills that space. It is only as we plead with Him to soften our hardened hearts.. that He will break our hearts into pieces – and He will start to fashion us after the likeness of His own dear Son.

Look to Jesus

I once spent three solid weeks from dawn to dusk.. entombed in a little 10th-century church, far away from the hustle and bustle of life and one by one, little by little.. as a deliberate choice of will, I handed over and I forgave many things. Many things were dealt with at that time.. some things needed even deeper surgery from the Spirit of Healing. But as we permit Him to search out the deep recesses of the heart. He draws us closer to Himself – until with Paul we can say… This one thing I do: this ONE thing... Focus on Jesus – loving Him with every fibre of your being. Look to Jesus – determined to obey His will from the heart. Seek to know Jesus – that your entire life, in thought word and deed, glorifies Him.

Press On

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.. but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians. 3:13, 14.