One Thing

“But He answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ ” -Matthew 25:12

Earlier this week, someone was talking to me about the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  He pointed out that although they were all virgins and had received the promise of the Bridegroom’s coming, they failed in one simple thing : to maintain their position of readiness.  His point was that you can’t put your stock in where you were at yesterday.  Seriously, they kept themselves for the Bridegroom, but they did not enter into His joy because they missed one simple responsibility.  My friend said to me, “They had it all right except for one thing, and they were cast out.  That’s got to put some fear in your life–some of the right kind of fear.”

So I suppose it’s a simple question.  Is there anything you are holding back from God today?  If He returned for you today, would you be ready?  Certainly the virgins did not think that He would come when He did, or they would have been ready.  Alas, He came at a time when they thought it was safe to slack, and they remained in the outter darkness.

Mark 10 tells the story of another man who was right in many things but lacked only one.  It is the story of the rich young ruler, a man who lived uprightly and sought to have eternal life.  In reference to the commandments of God, he said “I have kept them from my youth,” and Jesus did not argue with Him.  Jesus simply put His finger on the one thing in his life that was not surrendered.  “Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,’ and come, follow Me (Mark 10:21).’ “  Alas, he went away saddened because he was not willing to give up all in the pursuit of Christ.

For some, it is a fear of being called to the mission field.  It is hard to part with the comforts of the modern world to preach Jesus in the darkest corners of the earth.  For others it might be a fear that God will call them not to the mission field, but to a life of obscurity as a housewife or layperson.  For another it could be letting go of a position, posession, or relationship.  The point is that something, maybe even something small or unremarkable, has not been surrendered to God.  My friend told me, “I cannot allow myself to slack on anything.  I’ve got to be on gaurd to submit myself to God in everything.”

“Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” -Revelation 2:4

Ephesus also had a lot going for it.  Jesus commended the believers there for their perseverance under trial and for their discernment.  He noted that they had been counted worthy of suffering for His Name without growing weary.  And yet, when he instructed John to write to them in Revelation chapter two, He said “repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lamp stand out of its place–unless you repent” (v5).  I mean, they recognized error for what it was and rejected it-that’s better than a large swath of the American church.  And to be counted amongst the number of those of whom the scripture says “the world was not worthy.”  Alas, there was yet one thing against them, and it very nearly caused their light to be snuffed out.

So, what about it?  If the Lord Jesus reviewed the scrolls today what would your story say?  Would it say that you, like Abraham, held nothing back from God?  Would it say that He asked you for the very best and the very worst and you gave it all, or would it end with “Alas, they went away empty-handed because they would not give up that which they could not keep for that which they could not lose?”

Today we can all be thankful for what God has given to us.  Let’s also give all for Him.