July 29, 2024 The One Thing
What’s the One Thing
Monday, July 29, 2024
Reading and reflecting these past eight weeks on The Chosen devotionals inspired my thoughts this week. I hope you’ll join me in considering what a difference it makes in our lives when we choose the Chosen One.
Read: Matthew 4:1-10 What’s that One Thing?
Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”
Matthew 4:10, Message
In the movie City Slickers, three men, friends since childhood and living in New York, decided to travel to a dude ranch in order to give themselves a mental health boost during their personal midlife crises. At one point, in the middle of a supervised cattle drive, Mitch (Billy Crystal) is riding alone with Curly, the rugged cowboy (Jack Palance). The following discussion takes place:
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No, what?
Curly (holding up one finger): This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean [piddly].
Mitch: That’s great but, what’s the one thing?
Curly: That’s what you gotta figure out.
Jesus had the one thing figured out. He shared it through his rebukes of Satan while bearing up against the enemy’s three temptations in the wilderness:
- It takes more than food to stay alive;
- It takes more than status, position, or power to survive and thrive throughout the challenges and difficulties of life; and
- It takes more than receiving all the world offers to find sustaining peace and joy.
Basically, it takes Jesus in and around us, the embodiment of the love of God.
When reflecting on what songs he might want sung at his funeral service, Rev. Dr. Stan Copeland, senior pastor at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, answered Give Me Jesus, that time-worn African spiritual that opens with:
In the morning when I rise,
Just give me Jesus.
You may have all [the rest] this world provides,
And give me Jesus.
When I’m happy hear me sing…
Give me Jesus.
When I sorrow, hear me pray…
Give me Jesus.
I don’t know Curly’s one thing, but I know mine: Give me Jesus. The one and only thing. The secret to life. Because everything else don’t mean piddly.
Reflect: How can you prepare yourself to overcome the temptations to put your agenda, desires, or culture before God and Jesus Christ?
Pray: Lord God, I’m asking You for one thing only: To live with You in Your house my whole life long, so I can contemplate Your beauty and study at Your feet, so that I can live my life with the same wisdom, courage, and strength as Jesus. That’s the only quiet, secure place in this noisy world, far from the buzz of traffic and chaos (Psalm 27:4-6, Message paraphrased) In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
By His Grace,
Gloria
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