There is a popular business book called “One Thing” and the author’s main point is that in order to succeed we need to focus intently on one thing. If you are old enough to remember the Billy Crystal comedy movie, City Slickers, there was a tough old cowboy character “Curly” played by Jack Palance who had a famous scene where he said, holding up one finger, “the secret of life was one thing…., you have to find out what that one thing is for you.”

In the story of Mary and Martha recorded in Luke 10, Jesus came to visit sisters Mary and Martha, and while Jesus was there, Martha was busy with all the activities of hosting Jesus’ visit, but Mary sat and listened to Jesus teaching. This upset Martha who told Jesus it was not fair that Martha was working hard on all the arrangements while Mary sat listening to Jesus and not helping. Jesus’ answer was, Luke 10:42,43, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

There is only one thing we also need to be concerned with, and that is following Jesus. When we keep this in as our focus we stay on the right path.

Dear Lord, You have given us the incredible gift of Salvation through Jesus’ Christ. Help us remember that is the one thing that matters most. In His name we pray. Amen.

I have written in the past about how each of us has a calling, a mission, that God has put us on. We go about our daily lives pursuing our occupations, responsibilities and hobbies, and if we keep God the priority in our life, he is directing us.

Proverbs 16:3 is a great passage to memorize and ties in with this concept. it says, “Commit your actions to the Lord , and your plans will succeed.”

When we say, “this is what I am trying to accomplish Lord, but let me do your will not mine,” we are committing our actions to the Lord. He promises our plan’s will succeed, which will ultimately be the plans he is using us to accomplish.

Dear Lord, Thank you for directing our activities toward success in the calling you have given us. Help us always begin our days and tasks by asking for your direction and guidance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Each year, Warren Buffet, thought to be the greatest investor of modern times, auctions off a lunch with himself, giving the proceeds to charity. This year the winning bid for this lunch was $2.35 million. I imagine the person who paid that much money will be alert and listening to every word he hears from Warren Buffet.

Fortunately we don’t have to pay to speak with God, the creator of everything. Prayer is our way of communicating to God. Often times God is responding to us, while we pray, through our thoughts and perceptions. We need to be concentrating and listening for these answers.

Paul writes in Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” NLT. However, The Living Bible translation writes the same verse this way, “Don’t be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for Gods answers, and remember to be thankful when they come.”

We know God is answering our prayers, his way. Let’s be thankful always, and alert for God’s answers.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being just a prayer away. Help us pray regularly, alert and thankful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You have probably heard people In sports, music, writing, art, and probably other activites talk about being in “the zone.”  “The zone” is meant to describe a state of concentration and focus that allows you to perform exactly the way you like, smoothly, flawlessly.  

In some ways, there is a “zone” we can get into spiritually, where we feel like we are smoothly moving along a path on which God is guiding us.  It is a great feeling, unfortunately it gets interrupted by our own mistakes, and sometimes God’s challenges for us. 

I think this is what Romans 12:2 is describing when Paul writes, “….change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”

Changing the way we think is using God’s template, outlined in the bible as our model, rather than the template  that happens to be popular with people.  

Dear Lord, thank you for sending your spirit to us to help and guide us.  Help us renew our minds and hearts focusing on you and your will, so that we might get “in the zone,”  Your zone.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.  

The King James Version of the Bible includes the words “Fear Not” 71 times. Whether it is God speaking to Moses from the burning bush, or the angel appearing to Mary telling her she would be the mother of Jesus, or Jesus speaking to John in his vision in Revelation, or one of the many other occasions, it is spoken often to those who trust God.

What gives us the ability to overcome our fear in frightening situations? I believe it is looking at the “bigger picture”, or having confidence in something larger than the source of the fear, that makes the difference. For example, learning to ride a bike as a child may be frightening, but with a parent right their preventing the wipe-out, the child can overcome his or her fear. Or speaking in public, stepping back to put the event in context and look at the “Big Picture” helps us realize that whether it goes well or not does not determine our value, and is just one of many steps in our lives.

In 2 Timothy 1:7-8, Paul is explaining the larger power to Timothy, and giving him encouragement to be bold in spreading the Good News, saying, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.”

We probably all would have our own picture of the combination of Power, Love, and Self Discipline in the same person, the Knight in Shining Armor, the ER Nurse, or many others. What Paul is saying, however, is each of us is the picture of Power, Love, and Self Discipline, when we rely on the spirit God gives us.

Dear Lord, We thank you for giving us the spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Help us remember that when we rely on you and your spirit in us, we can be bold and live our faith without fear, no matter what happens. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.