8-31-2024 7:50pm

Strong spirits: these are the days!

Photo: SumofMarc, Flickr

If ever we needed strong spirits, these are the days! They demand that we we are at our best mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And many of us feel that we are anything but our best right now. We need a simple solution to keep us on track and moving ahead. So here is something that is both simple and effective. It has to do with where we focus our attention.

"One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek after... to dwell in the Lord's presence all the days of my life..." David the king (Psalm 27:4)

"Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about many things. Mary has chosen the one thing that matters, and it will not be taken from her." Jesus to his friend Martha (Luke 10:41,42)

"One thing I do... I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." the apostle Paul (Philippians 3:13,14)

"You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor...then come and follow me." Jesus to a rich young ruler (Luke 18:22)

All of these basically say the same thing. Our focus needs to be on God, and our relationship with him. He has all that we need. We can trust him completely. Often, we are so caught up in the problems of our life, that we forget to focus on the solution. Learning to focus on him, to bring him into all of our moments, will bring to us the peace he promises.

Seek the one thing that matters. Every day.

Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.