THIS ONE THING I DO

The price of gold, the price of victory, the price of being number one, is single-mindedness. Any man who wins in the Olympics has been a single-minded man. He does not go to ordinary schools. He doesn’t live an ordinary life. He doesn’t play games other people play. His life is totally decided for him. He is not his master. He has become a prisoner, single-eyed, single-hearted, and single-minded. Most of us do not grasp the fact that the laws of life apply to Christianity. Gravity affects a Christian just like anybody else. Two plus two is four whether we are good or bad. The single-mindedness that secures gold in the Olympics is equally a single-mindedness that will develop a Christian.

There are so many “how to” books out there but I have found that many people can do a thing but they have no idea how they do it. That is why some great athletes can’t coach and many great coaches were failures as athletes. Just because a man can do it is no sign he knows how or why he did it. Most “how to” books fail to mention why they were successful. They overlook single-mindedness. What worked for them won’t for you if you do not pay the price they paid. The secret of success is not in the method. It is in the single-mindedness. Anything will work if we will work. Any diet will work if you don’t eat. It is not in the diet; it is not in the method. It is in the discipline, in the single-mindedness. If you don’t work, nothing will work. If you don’t have your total mind into it, it is not going to succeed. That is why anyman can have a Ph.D. degree, anyman can become a millionaire, anyman can do anything he wants to do. The key question is this; Does he want it badly?

We often try to butter both sides of the bread. We are trying to have the best of both worlds. It won’t work. One can’t lose weight and eat all he wants. One cannot succeed when he doesn’t try. One can’t develop muscles by exercising once a year. Jesus was single-minded. Remember at the age of twelve He said, “Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?”What was on Jesus’ mind? The Will of God. Why was the apostle Paul such a wonderful, outstanding Christian? In Philippians 3 he said, “This one thing I do.” A person cannot do two things at the same time. Acts 2:46 says the brethren ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart. The early church was of one mind. In Psalms 57:7 David said, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. Many people are listening to the drum beat of too many bands. Jesus said you are either interested in heaven or earth, God or mammon, right or wrong. One can’t have both.

A single-minded Christian carries his cross (Matthew 16:24). If you get up every day and have to flip a coin to see if you belong to God or the devil, you are going to live a miserable life. But when you make that decision, “I am God’s”; each day renews the commitment you have made. There is no need of dying for your faith if you are not living for it. The Christian has his eyes on God, from the beginning unto the end. If you do not have that perspective your decisions are going to be wrong (Colossians 3:1-3). Let your eyes be single.

Word Affirmation: “Ye are the light of the world." - Matthew 5:14 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“There is no need of dying for your faith if you are not living for it."

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