I hear a lot of folks talk about needing to get their lives together. And, I have heard even more ask how to get their lives together. Let’s face it…this world isn’t for the faint of heart.
Marriage and parenting are not easy. 80 hour work weeks, travel ball, debt, expectations, addictions, exhaustion, terror attacks, dwindling retirement accounts and frustrating expectations have robbed us of life’s joy and our soul’s hopes!
If you are anything like me, you need to Get Your IT Together. And for many of us, we need to know what our IT is!
In an effort to help each of us find our IT, here are 5 It’s that get our it’s together.
1. It’s One Thing To Ask – Psalm 27:4
The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
David was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Although David could have wanted many things (victory over his enemies, the crown on his head), we see him relentlessly return his focus to God. David sought God more than any earthly treasure. I suppose the question is, do you? Is there any room in your priorities for the things of God? Room for His plans for you to succeed. Plans for you to prosper. Plans for you to win in this life and enter Heaven at the end of this life?
2. It’s One Thing You Lack – Mark 10:21
Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The rich young ruler claimed to be righteous, but he is unwilling to give Jesus the one thing He asked for: himself. The rich young ruler was willing to impress Jesus with his track record, but he was unwilling to surrender his status.This isn’t a story about money. It’s a story about our hearts. Anything that stands between our trust, affections and our love and faith of a loving God is our story of loss. The Divine isn’t telling you not to have money, He’s teaching us the power of placing Him in the highest priority of our lives. It is only then that we can experience what David was talking about when he referred to “delighting in the Lord’s perfections.”
3. It’s One Thing that is Necessary – Luke 10:41-42
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
One day Martha had a houseguest—Jesus, the Son of the Living God. While she works over a meal for Jesus and twelve other dudes, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Jesus responds to her whining by saying, “You are anxious and troubled with much serving.” Martha was so focused on doing a good thing that she missed out on the best thing. All of our bluster and busyness counts for nothing when compared to our willingness to worship the one thing that is required to get our IT and get our IT together! This is why I am so committed to a time of meditation each day. All the good things we might do, count for nothing if they aren’t birthed in our hearts by the presence of the Divine!
4. It’s One Thing I Know – John 9:25
“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
A man born blind is healed by Jesus. When interrogated by the religious leaders, he doesn’t present a grand slam witness or get intimidated. He simply tells his story: He was blind, but now he sees. In response, Jesus states that the blind man is now seeing and the religious leaders are the ones that are blind. Which should cause us to ask one simple question. Am I blind in need of sight, or blind and don’t know what sight is? You can’t find Your IT if you are spiritually blind.
5. It’s One Thing I Do – Philippians 3:13-14
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, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Paul didn’t let the hangover of his past dictate his present and future goals. He was laser-focused on surrendering his past to a Savior that has thrown them as far as the east is from the west. He knew his goal, and he wasn’t going to waver. This Pharisee of Pharisees, who had everything going for him, laid down his life to follow Jesus. Just as a simple guideline in life, I encourage you to run as far and as fast as you can from folks that cling to religion over the freedom that Christ brings into our lives!
One thing – from Christ – Apart from this ONE THING we have no hope to get our IT TOGETHER. God isn’t playing hide and seek with you. He desperately wants you to find Your IT! So stop trying to hide from Him. There is nothing in your past, present or future that will cause the Divine to stop loving you. That alone is a great reason to Get Your IT Together! Are you willing to find it, believe in it and live it? That’s all that remains!
–AChuck
