One Thing

One Thing | Daily devotional by Zig Ziglar

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

PAUL WAS THE GREATEST leader in the history of the church, but he wasn’t cocky. He knew he was still a work in progress. Paul’s days were filled with starting churches, managing leaders, and taking the gospel to everyone in the known world, but he reduced his job description to “one thing.” We’d interpret his comments in management terms as the rigorous commitment to a singular objective that has two parts: not dwelling on the past, but reaching ahead to achieve the vision of the future.

The past can bog us down in two distinctly different ways: Some of us feel ashamed by failures in our personal lives or in business, and our minds are haunted by those memories.

Every decision we make is colored by our grief and the fear that we’ll make the same mistake again. Others of us, though, live in past glories.

We’ve enjoyed stunning success, but instead of using our gains as a foundation for future growth, we keep reliving those memories. Living in the past, whether failed or successful, takes our lives out of focus. Paul says, “Forget the past and move on.”

In which direction should we move? We should reach forward to fulfill the vision God has for us. Paul encourages us to uncover and embrace a God- sized cause, one that has a positive impact on people and expands His King- dom. We can have causes like that at work,in our neighborhoods,andathome, as well as at church.

As you begin this New Year, focus on Paul’s “one thing.”

What are some past failures or successes you need to leave behind?

Is there a God-sized cause that has gripped your heart? Explain your answer.

“The day our memories become larger than our dreams is the day our soul begins to shrink.” - IKE REIGHARD

“Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them, and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them.” - ZIG ZIGLAR