Blessed are those who will one thing

Matthew 5:8

New Revised Standard Version:   Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The Message: You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher and Christian intellectual, said that “purity of heart” was “to will one thing”. That is, to be wholeheartedly committed to one passion, one commitment, one thing. That one thing being God and God’s glory.

We live distracted lives. Bombarded as we are by all the things that need doing – all the things we are to accomplish today. Our TVs, our computers, our cell phones, our social media feeds – all add to the distractions. So we are unable to give our attention wholly to one thing, to the most important thing – to being focussed on God and God’s glory.

Does willing one thing, having purity of heart, mean we should do nothing but think about God all day? No, we can give glory to God in how we do our work. As John Calvin said to the baker who wanted to know how he could bring glory to God, “Bake good bread.” We are invited to live our lives to God’s glory, to God’s honour, making God the one thing that we will, even as we do what seem to be the regular things of living. To live our lives with God as the purpose and reason for our actions. So our family commitments are lived with God as the one who we seek to glorify. Our work is done so that God is given glory. To participate in our leisure activities desiring that God is glorified in our rest and play.

Notice the promise: those who will to live to God’s glory will see God. Having willed to live for God their deepest and highest desire will be fulfilled, they will see God.    

PRAYER:

God of glory and majesty, we desire to live for you above all the other claims in our lives. We want to fulfill our highest calling as people and live for you above all other things. Teach us the path of purity of heart, that we would will you alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.