12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.
S(cripture) - No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
O(bservation) - I focus on this one thing. Simple. A life of simplicity is not a bunch of quick how-tos or selling your stuff on ebay to declutter (though it helps!). A life of simplicity focuses on the one thing. Simplicity is internal and eternal. We live in a world of distractions. Duplicity. We chase after the latest thing - phone, computers, car, TV show, clothing, parenting style . . . (you fill in the blank), but in the end it leaves us unsatisfied becuase it is neither internal or eternal. Paul's life was complicated, but his heart was filled with simplicity. He saw heaven so clearly and this fueled how he lived on this side of it.
A(pplication) - Jesus is calling us to a new life a Kingdom life. I wonder if 21st century America is one of the hardest places to live this life. We live and work and play at the speed of sound. (a great book to read is CS Lewis's Screwtape Letters to see how the Enemy works to nudge us off the path). Will I live today, focusing on the one thing - the one life - the one purpose? Like Paul, I can't change yesterday, but I can live today allowing God to perfect me and simplify me.
P(rayer) - Abba, Today my kids are off from school. Give me a heart that is singulalry focused on you and loving them. Amen.
an exploration of Kingdom life at the intersection of God's Word and God's World.
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