One thing you lack
“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honour your father and your mother.’ ” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”
Luke 18:18-23 NKJV
We as Christians, we try to keep all the law and commandments so much but didn’t we find it odd that we cannot keep all and seem to fail in one or the other? That is what the Lord was telling this rich man, who was lacking this one thing, which was his trust in his riches. Jesus wanted him to trust God completely for his existence. So we should also trust God for everything, even to keep all His Commandments.
One thing is needed
“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:38-42 NKJV
We should not be anxious about so many worldly things that distracted Martha. She was thinking everything depended on her and started complaining to God about her sister even to the extent of instructing God how to deal with her! But the Lord clearly told her only one thing is needed, that is to sit at His feet casting all our cares and learning from Him, drawing from Him the strength to do all things effortlessly, and Mary had chosen a portion that cannot be taken away from her.
Vine & The Branches
““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5 NKJV
We have to ask the Lord and draw strength and instructions to do everything we do, small to big. Like the branches of the vine draws all his nutrients from the vine and continue to produce fruits. As long as the sap is available to the branches it can produce much fruits and much more fruits; because Our Lord is able to supply forever the strength and power we need to live a fruitful life.
Without Jesus, we can do nothing. Jesus is very clear about it, yet how many of us trying to do things on our own strength and intelligence?
God wants us to totally depend on Him to live and operate supernaturally and effortlessly giving all praise, honour and glory to Him alone, who deserves all.