One Thing That Makes All the Difference

Many people spend their entire lives chasing after happiness. Some climb the tall ladder of success only to realize their ladder’s leaning up against the wrong building! However, nothing can provide you with true contentment and fulfillment but God Himself—not a job, a promotion, another person, money, vacations or more “things.”

Over the years, so many successful business people have told me how they managed to get everything they wanted—the right position, the money, the title, the status—only to realize it didn’t make them happy. Yes, God wants us to enjoy our relationships with other people, and He wants us to have things we need—it’s not wrong to have a title or money. But He wants us to know that only one thing will ever truly satisfy us. What’s the “one thing”?

One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life... (Psalm 27:4 AMP).

This has been one of the foundational scriptures of my life. Early on in my walk with God, He began teaching me about the vital necessity of developing an intimate relationship with Him. He is our source of joy and strength. Spending time with Him is the only way we will ever see true change in our lives.

I think many Christians do what I did for years: I went to church every single Sunday, sang the songs, listened to the sermon, and really loved God the best I knew how. But then on Monday, nothing changed. I went back to being my same old self—negative, judgmental, critical, and rebellious. I nagged my husband, Dave, and wanted him to change. But God had a better plan: He wanted to change me!

Little by little, I began spending time with God each day. I began reading and studying His Word; I would sit on my couch and just talk to Him and pour out my heart; sometimes I just sat quietly in His presence. I didn’t notice drastic changes overnight, but as I continued to “feed” on God’s Word and put time into developing my relationship with the Father, He slowly began to change who I was.

I believe so many times we read or hear what God’s Word says—we learn how we should act or behave—but then go and try to change ourselves. I went around this same mountain for years. I would hear a message at church on loving other people and think, I’m going to stop crabbing and be nicer to Dave and the children. But in my own strength I could only do it for so long!

I love Philippians 2:13. It says, For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure (AMP).

I want you to stop for a moment and think. What changes would you like to see in your life? Would you like to be a better spouse or parent? Would you like to exercise more patience with your friends and co-workers when things get stressful? Is there a bad habit or addiction that you just can’t ever seem to shake?

Would you simply like to enjoy your life more and have true contentment and satisfaction, regardless of what’s happening around you?

I will tell you right now: You can’t do it all on your own. Yes, you have a part to play—your determination and efforts do make a difference. However, it is only through God’s strength that you can truly grow, change, and enjoy your life.

I love what the above verse says—God will give us “the longing and ability” to change. This means we can go to God and say, “Lord, I see this bad habit in my life, and I know it’s hurting me and all those around me. Right now, I don’t even have a desire to change. But I know You can help me—I know You can give me the ‘want to.’ I am leaning on You for strength—I can’t do this on my own.”

I’ve found that when we come to God honestly like this, he is always faithful to meet us right where we are, then do something amazing in our lives.

I encourage you to begin today to develop a more intimate relationship with God. Even if you begin by simply taking 10 minutes to sit quietly and read His Word or talk to Him about what’s going on in your life, I believe you will begin to see tremendous results.

And I can tell you from experience, the more time you spend with God, the more time you will want to spend with Him. Because He is our Source for everything good—joy, peace, strength, contentment...and the ability to grow and change into everything His Word says we can be.