One Thing...What's Important

If you had to give everything you owned away and could only keep one thing what would it be? Let's take it a little further...it can't be your house or car. What would it be?

If you could take out a magic wand, wave it, and have any one thing you wanted...it can't be money...what would it be?

What if you could make some event happen or a situation occur, what one thing would it be?

In leadership or ministry, what if you had to strip away every activity, every function, every role away...except for one thing... what would that one thing be? No, no, no...come on now, answer the question.

Most leaders run pretty hard. All too often are the times that we feel like a stage performer trying to simultaneously spin a world record number of plates on sticks. A little bit of carnival music in the background, a little drama with the comfortably seated spectators loudly pointing out dangerously wobbly plates, and then that vision of you, the performer in the white jump suit stepping forward and with a broad sweeping hand motion calling attention to the fact that all of the plates are spinning while the spectators wildly applaud. Problem is, every record setting plate spinning feat I've ever seen included plates breaking on the floor after a brief few seconds of triumphant jubilation.

We have to remember that we are leaders and not performers. How many plates can be spun on sticks if one person is assigned to each plate? Which plate am I called to spin...one plate...one thing.

Psalm 27:4 -- One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: 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 seek him in his temple. (NIV)

Luke 10:42 -- ... but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (NIV)

John 9:25 -- One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! (NIV)

Mark 10:21 -- "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (NIV)

Philipians 3:13 -- Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (NIV)

2 Peter 3:8 -- But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (NIV)

The Challenge: Take a little time to really ask yourself these questions. Above everything else...

• What one thing would I keep?
• What one thing would I give away?
• What one thing do I know for sure?
• What one thing will I do?
  
• What one thing will I be?