PHILIPPIANS 3:10 –  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

Did the theme of the day immediately cause you to pause and ponder what this one thing is?  Well, let’s not just list or define it.  We will define it through specific illustrations from God’s Word establishing our need, our asking, and our seeking of it.

There are at least three times the words “one thing” appear in the scripture.  Twice in the New Testament, and once in the Old.

First, in the Gospel of Luke, our Lord Jesus establishes our need or the necessity of this one thing.  Here is the occurrence – Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).  Martha didn’t get it. Mary did.  Our greatest need as Christians is to be as close to Christ as possible. We were created by God, for God, to be like God, and to be with Him. This is the highest priority relationship in life and will enhance or hinder all other relationships and things we do in life.

A second time “one thing” appears in scripture is from the heart and pen of the Psalmist David – One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4). If we are sincere in believing that knowing Jesus Christ is the one thing, the highest priority in life, we will fervently ask God for more of Him.

The third time these words are found in scripture is in the testimony of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians – 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).  Sinclair Ferguson, in his new devotional titled Things Unseen, wrote “In the beginning of Philippians, Paul indicates that his young colleague Timothy was with him. Paul often dictated his letters and Timothy would have recorded. If that were the case, I’m sure that as Paul came to this ‘But this one thing I do’, Timothy might well have looked at Paul with a quizzical stare as if to say, ‘Paul, do you really want me to say that you do only one thing? You’re the ultimate multitasking Apostle. I’ve never seen you do just one thing.’”  I think Paul smiled back and said, “You need to understand that I’m not busy doing many different things. I am busy doing one thing in many ways. And all of them are about getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ better, sharing His life, and becoming like Him”.

What is this one thing goal?  Fellowship with the Lord, completed glory. It is the full and complete gaining of Christ, to know Him fully, and perfect fellowship with Him.  It the completion of Philippians 3:10 – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

One thing in our lives is necessary, to be asked for, and diligently sought and that is knowing Christ. Everything else will come together for the glory of God.

PRAYER: “Lord, remind me I am a human being, made for relationship, not a human doing just to do things.”

QUOTE: “When focused on the centrality of Christ, all of life is simplified, not made easy, but made simple.”