One Thing

Curly turns to Mitch and  says, “Do you know what the secret to life is?”

Mitch replies, “No, what?’

Curly holds up his index finger and says, “This!”

“Your finger?” asks Mitch.

“No… it means only one thing matters in life,” responds Curly.

“That’s great, but what’s that one thing?” asks Mitch.

Curly replies, “That’s what you gotta figure out.”

- City Slickers, 1991

40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,

42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

- Luke 10:40-42

We spend an inordinate amount of time in our lives seeking to find purpose and value through the various roles we play… child, sibling, adult, employee, employer, friend, spouse, parent, grandparent, hoping upon hope that we can be counted as worthwhile by how well we play those roles. However, truth be known, when we seek our value in the roles we play, we actually lose who we are – who God created us to be.

As Curly pointed out in the movie City Slickers, there is only one that really matters, but unfortunately, we too often look in all the wrong places to find it. In the account of Martha and Mary, Martha tried to live up to the role she felt was expected of her, and not only lost herself, but tried to drag her sister, Mary, down with her. Mary, on the other hand, found the one thing that mattered most, at the feet of Jesus. She realized there was nothing more important in life than to be recognized as a follower of Jesus and a child of the Most High God.

When you find yourself overwhelmed trying to live up to the the standard you, or someone else, has created for you, as the best mom, dad, spouse, etc. - a standard you can’t possibly hope to attain or maintain –

STOP, BREATHE AND REST in the knowledge that, in Christ, you are all you need to be, and you have discovered the ONE THING that really matters.

Pastor Ken

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