one thing

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the grace and the strength and the courage to make you my one thing.  Amen.

Scripture: Luke 18:22

Journal: What is your “one thing?”  How do you know that?  What would it look like for Jesus to be your one thing?

Reflection: “You still lack one thing…” (Luke 18:22)

It is easy to say that Jesus is our one thing, but it is much more difficult to live as if that were true.  All we have to do is look carefully at our lives, they will tell us the truth.  Whatever we spend most of our time and energy thinking about, consumed with, worrying over, building, defending, and protecting—that is our one thing.  And any “one thing” that we put before Jesus is a disordered affection.  Jesus demands to be our first and truest affection, not just one of many.  That’s exactly what he is trying to tell the rich young ruler: “If you put anything before me, then it is your God.  So take your pick, the choice it up to you.”

Pray

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, don’t let me fool myself.  Show me what my one thing is.  And if it is anything other than you, help me to leave it behind, whatever that may mean, and follow you.  Amen.