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christian, christianity, God, J. C. Ryle, obsession, one thing, quotes, religion, Religion and Spirituality, sermons, zeal
Years ago, I was struck by a particular way that the phrase “one thing” was occasionally used in Scripture. Here are a few examples:
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
(Psalm 27:4)
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
One thing I ask… one thing is necessary… one thing I do. Ultimately, it seems to me, the “one thing” asked for, needed, and aimed at in those passages is God Himself. Of course, any time I make an observation like that it has an immediately humbling effect on me. Is God Himself—His presence, His glory—the only thing that I really desire and long for? In a sermon on christian zeal, J.C. Ryle draws out in a little more detail what it means to be a person of one thing.
Zeal in Christianity is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire, which is not natural to men or women. It is a desire which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when they are converted to Christ, however, a desire which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called “zealous” men and women.
This desire is so strong, when it really reigns in a person, that it impels them to make any sacrifice-to go through any trouble-to deny themselves anything-to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil, to spend themselves and be spent, and even to die-if only they can please God and honor Christ.
A zealous person in Christianity is preeminently a person of one thing. It is not enough to say that they are earnest, strong, uncompromising, meticulous, wholehearted, and fervent in spirit. They only see one thing, they care for one thing, they live for one thing, they are swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether they live, or whether they die-whether they are healthy, or whether they are sick-whether they are rich, or whether they are poor-whether they please man, or whether they give offense-whether the are thought wise, or whether they are thought foolish-whether they are accused, or whether they are praised-whether they get honor, or whether they get shame-for all this the zealous person cares nothing at all. They have a passion for one thing, and that one thing is to please God and to advance God’s glory. If they are consumed in the very burning of their passion for God, they don’t care-they are content. They feel that, like a candle, they were made to burn; and if they are consumed in the burning, then they have only done the work for which God has appointed them. Such a person will always find a sphere for their zeal. If they cannot work, or give money, or a man cannot preach, then they will cry out and sigh, and pray. Yes: if they are extremely poor, on a perpetual bed of sickness, they will make the activity of sin around him slow to a standstill, by continually interceding against it. If they cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, they will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill. (Exodus 17:9-13) If they are cut off from working themselves, they will give the Lord no rest until help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of zeal in Christianity.
I think sometimes we pride ourselves on being broad minded and having broad interests. There’s nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. Perhaps, though, some of us need a more singular focus in life. May God help us become men and women of one thing.
who am i? 
Barry:
The phrase that hit me as I read this was single minded. Not a one track mind, but single minded, with a unity of purpose in thought and approach to life.
One thing. Single minded. Centered on Christ and the Cross, centered on the empty tomb and the hope (in the most biblical of senses) it holds for us.
I think that’s a good phrase, Andy. Not only do I want to be single minded, I want to be passionately single minded, or as Ryle put it, “have a passion for one thing, and that one thing is to please God and to advance God’s glory.”
Maybe I’m shallow, but I can’t help but remember the movie “City Slickers” and the cowboy who tells Billy Crystal that they have to figure out their “one thing.” I can’t remember how it’s said, but he holds up his big, calloused, strong cowboy finger for the “one.” Billy imitates it with his wimpy, pale city finger, then ponders it aloud the rest of the movie.
Each character has to determine their “one thing.”
The movie, if I recall, has a warm-fuzzy ending, with Billy’s character realizing his one thing. I’m pretty sure it was his family.
But here, you have given the only “one thing” I want to pursue, invest in, devote myself to:
God Himself.
Knowing Him, pleasing Him, glorifying Him forever.
How well I do that is arguable. But this what I pray my one thing is and will be.
I want that to be my one thing too, Ann. If it is, it will be a miracle of God’s grace.
Wow, this is really helpful. I must say though, that while Ryle’s quote is very descriptive and inspiring as to what it looks like to be a person of “one thing” I find the way he describes the “one thing” a bit daunting: “that one thing is to please God”.
I don’t mean to split hairs, but let me explain. I’ve heard so many people say so many things about what it is that pleases God, and it nearly always ends up in some form of list of do’s and don’ts to which I invariably fail to measure up. We strive and strive to please God. In fact, Martha, in the passage you sited was no doubt trying to please the Lord in all her work, but Jesus said that’s not the “good thing”. So Ryle’s words made me feel a bit like the answer to all of this is to work harder, try harder, to find ways to please God. In short, his words made me feel hopeless of ever measuring up to his definition of zeal.
But I went back up to the Scriptures you listed, and there I found hope. The “one thing” that David and Mary and Paul sought was God Himself – to be in His presence, not to do this or that to earn His favor (that favor was bought and paid for by Christ). It is only when I already KNOW God is pleased with me, that I am accepted in Christ, that I can approach Him to learn at His feet, to bask in His presence, secure in His pleasure.
Thanks for reminding me of the one thing that really matters – to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, to sit at the feet of Jesus, now and for all eternity.
I don’t think that’s splitting hairs at all, Laurie. It’s a helpful distinction. Enjoying God, delighting in him, is the essence of pleasing him. True zeal has to be a product of worship. That reminds me of something A.W. Tozer said: “We’re here to be worshipers first and workers only second. We take a convert and immediately make a worker out of him. God never meant it to be so. God meant that a convert should learn to be a worshiper, and after that he can learn to be a worker…The work done by a worshiper will have eternity in it.”
Amen, Barry! Thanks for this very edifying and challenging post.
A few years ago, I was studying the idea of “seeking” after God in the Sermon on the Mount, and I remember being drawn to the concepts of Desire, Focus, and Movement as a working definition for seeking. Functionally, my “one thing” is whatever I desire most with my heart, focus upon most in my thoughts, and move toward most through my choices. This three-fold definition can be useful for identifying our sins and pursuing growth in godliness. I think it can be seen clearly in the passages you mentioned.
If we have any desire at all for God, that is a gift of His grace. Now, to work on making that the ONE, ruling desire which motivates everything else . . . (I’m challenged!)
Soli Deo Gloria!
Derek
I’ve always appreciated the way that you think carefully and analytically about things, Derek, and I particularly like the way you’ve analyzed and identified some of the basic components of the act of seeking, along with the way you’ve applied it to this meditation. Your definition makes the concept a little more concrete.
I also appreciate your reminder that any desire we have to seek God comes from him (John 6:37); I would add that the desire will also (amazingly!) be rewarded by him (Hebrews 11:6)… “for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” What grace!