KBM Single-Mindedness

I hope everyone listening has had a wonderful week and has meditated upon the blessings you have received from God this week. As you know we have been studying the “Life of Christ” and today we are going to be looking at Jesus’ words found in Matthew 6:19-24. Typically we don’t read together the main text but today I think it would be good for us to.

Matthew 6:19–24 ESV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

As you can see, Jesus is talking about having “Single-Mindedness.” In other words, Jesus wants his children to be “focused.” The reality is Satan will do everything within his power to make us “unfocused” on God and focused on other things. Too many times Christians are like toddlers who can so easily go from one toy to the next and never focusing on anything in particular. Satan is good at offering God’s children “new toys” and keeping them “double-minded.” However, God wants us focused on him and his word. God has made it perfectly clear that if we are struggling with focus i.e., wisdom in this area we should pray for it.

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

As Christians God has made it clear we cannot straddle the fence, we must put our whole focus on him if we want to be with him for eternity.

Luke 16:13 ESV

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Jesus taught that we are to be “pure in heart to see God” (Matthew 5:8). The word pure there means “single-hearted, without mixture.”

Paul would declare we must, in our lives, doing “one thing.”

Philippians 3:13 ESV

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

In other words, our mind and heart must be steadfast focused on God.

Psalm 57:7 ESV

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!

So we then should ask the question, “How do we do this?” For Christians this means “being a follower of Christ” i.e., a disciple of our Lord and Savior. Peter would describe it as being having a sober-mind that is prepared to act for Christ.

1 Peter 1:13–16 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

A single-minded Christian is one that counts the cost each day and determines the path ahead that is the “strait and narrow path” (Matthew 7:13-14).