A key principle in life is to have a proper sense of priorities.  What is the “one thing” most important for your life?  It’s been said that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.  We can become distracted so easily, it seems that we have a proclivity to become sidetracked with peripheral issues.  If you find that you seem to have too many interests to focus on just one you may be a renaissance soul,  Several years ago I read a book entitled, “The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One.”  You may find the book helpful but fortunately  the Bible provides helpful guidance in this area.

David gives us the example of single-mindedness in his devotion to God.  In Psalm 27 David writes, “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple.”

We see this single-minded focus on God throughout the Scriptures.  In the Gospel of Luke, Mary demonstrates this principle as she is sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Martha thinks her sister should be helping with the dinner preparation and she lets Jesus know her displeasure.  Jesus responds, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."  Do you realize that good may be the enemy of best?

Consider the man born blind in John 9.  When the Pharisees questioned him he said, “. . . one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."  Jesus radically changed his life and he couldn’t help but testify about it.  What is the one thing that you know?

Paul encouraged the Philippians as he testifies, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,” You can’t go forward while looking in the rearview mirror.  A Chinese proverb states, “if you chase two rabbits, both will escape.”

The Gospels present a negative example as Jesus speaks with the rich young ruler, “Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’"  What did he lack – the Bible says he was wealthy?  The one thing he lacked was keeping the main thing the main thing – God was not first in his life.

One of the dangers of being well-rounded is that you may not be sharp at anything.  If you are able to do a lot of things fairly well, you will not have time to learn to do one thing extremely well.  As you go through life what is the one thing Jesus would say you lack?  May you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you!