Focus on One Thing

Recently my wife brought home some Girl Scout cookies. While I remember her asking me if I wanted to order some cookies, I don’t remember what I ordered. But after she brought them home I was happy and hooked….all over again. You see, every year my wife supports the efforts of the Girls Scouts by purchasing their cookies. As I was enjoying a box of some lemon-flavored cookies (I never know the real Girl Scout names) I notice some writing on the side of one of the boxes. It stated something to the effect of how excited this particular scout was about participating in the cookie drive every year. At that point something hit me…actually two things. The first being that these little lemon cookies were delicious. The other thing was the fact no matter how many new types of cookies they introduced; they still kept their old favorites. Also, while other options to raise funds for the organization could have fostered greater income, they remained faithful to their cookie drive. They have been faithful to one thing; the cookie drive.

As  I think about the words of Paul as he wrote to the church at Philippi, there really is one thing that God requires from us; forgetting and reaching. While Paul writes it as two things it really is one motion. Philippians 3:13 says “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before….” This is really the model of success….focusing on One Thing. There is no way for a person or even an organization to reach significant success by trying to do everything well. Choose one thing and do that One Thing well and the blessings will come.

There is really only one thing that is required of the Christian; reach forward. I don’t mean to get too theological but if God is transcendent, He desires for us to search for and seek after Him. Once we make our main focus the process of seeking to know and enjoying God for who He is, then and only then will we leave a legacy for others to follow. No matter what new comes our way, our focus should still be One Thing.

Let’s all be like the Girl Scouts of America; hold fast to our history while moving toward our destiny.