Just one thought by Gary Rose

This picture reminded me of my dog Pal. He is focused on me and follows me wherever I go, but if he sees food; that changes everything. Food becomes his number one goal in life. It doesn't matter that both his water and dog food dish always has something in it, if he smells or sees food- he makes a bee line to it!

Pal has a one-track mind, something like that pair of dogs in the picture. Now, this is cute in dogs, but what about humans? To put it another way, is having a one-track mind a good thing? Consider the following...

Philippians, Chapter 3 (World English Bible)

  ¹ Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.  ² Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.  ³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;  ⁴ though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:  ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;  ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 

  ⁷  However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.  ⁸ Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ  ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  ¹⁰ that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;  ¹¹ if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  ¹² Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 

  ¹³  Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,  ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  (emphasis added vss. 13-14) ¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

Fact: we can't change the past, what is done is over, but is it done with? Do we relive the past or do we move on to something better? Paul saw the weakness in law keeping and the greatness of following Christ- and did something about it; he moved on to be a faithful follower of Jesus. Now, that is something to think about! The only question that remains is- will I just think about it, or will I make it my life's goal? Really, will I, or just as importantly, will you?