(Mark 10:17-22 HCSB) 17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call Me good? ” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One — God. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.” 20 He said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But he was stunned at this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
Like so many, I’ve been watching the Olympic Games that are being played in Rio this week. Currently, the swimmers are in the pool chasing their dreams. Michael Phelps is one of the elite swimmers in the world and has proven that claim by winning 19 medals to this point in his career. While he has had incredible success in the pool, there is ONE THING that has alluded him–the gold medal in the 200M butterfly. As reported by ESPN…
On the eve of arguably the most anticipated race of the swimming program at these Olympics, there was no need for words. No need for soft and cuddly clichés about respect or admiration. Instead, one 10-second television clip told you everything you needed to know about the relationship between Michael Phelps and South Africa’s Chad le Clos.
It was four years ago in London when le Clos, who grew up idolizing Phelps, handed the American his first loss at a major international meet in a decade by out-touching him in the 200-meter butterfly final. –Wayne Drehs
That “out-touching” was actually a difference of less than .05 of a second. For Phelps, his stellar career has been marred by “ONE THING.” In recent interviews, he has talked about his desire to make amends for the one loss that has had the world of sports talking for the last four years.
In Mark 10, a young man approached Jesus with a very pointed question,
“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Keep the commandments,” Jesus replied.
The young man answered, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”
Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
But he was stunned at this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
This young man walked away from Christ because of ONE THING he was unwilling to turn over. Obviously, this scripture deals with the importance of trusting God with money. We are told that he had amassed quite a large fortune. He had no problem keeping the letter of the law in every way but ONE THING. The ONE THING that prevented him from obtaining eternal life was his riches.
How about you? Is there ONE THING that prevents you from experiencing that next level relationship with the Lord? Have you withheld that ONE THING; refusing to give it over to Him? Let me encourage you today to rethink the priorities of life. Do the ONE THING today that will position you for victory. Give everything to Jesus.
Tonight, I watched Michael Phelps win the gold medal in the 200M butterfly. The ONE THING that had alluded him is now in his possession.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to never withold anything that You require of me. You are my priority. Help me to live in such a way that clearly places You on the throne of my heart! Amen.
Thinking Out Loud 