WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER 1 THING?

      In the 1991 film, "City Slickers," three friends took a vacation together on a dude ranch because they were struggling with their personal lives back in the city. The movie was filled with light-hearted humor, and I enjoyed it, especially the relationship between Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) and Jack Palance, who played a rough-hewn trail boss named "Curly." They struggled throughout the movie and in one memorable scene, Curly held up one finger and said, "Do you know what the secret of life is?" "This," he said (holding up his finger), to which Mitch responded, "Your finger?" Curly went on, "1 thing. Just 1 thing. Stick to that and the rest don't mean (anything)." Then Mitch asked, "But, what is the '1 thing'?" And Curly replied, "That's what 'you' have to figure out!"
      Indeed, that's what we all have to figure out- the number 1 thing. What is the most important thing in the world to you? What give meaning to your life, or my life? What one thing would we die for, or even live entirely for? Have you figured it out? Many of you have, and I did too.. but it took a lot of pain. As a child, I became a pretty good peacemaker, and later on, I specialized in pleasing people. I learned to cut conflict off before it started, and more importantly, to tell people what they wanted to hear. 1) "Pleasing people" became my number 1 thing... but "pleasing people" is not much of a goal. In fact, it's a terrible goal... if you're selling your soul...in the doing of it. I spent a lot of time trying to please people, but it didn't bring me peace or joy.
      But there was another contender to be my number 1 thing... and that was my work. Growing up, I learned that work... really is next to godliness, if not higher... and like my father before me, I threw myself into it... and 2) getting ahead at work became my number 1 thing. My vocation was my life. My job and I were one! My sense of worth was inseparable from my business success. I worshiped my job... and in doing so, I threw my family, my friends, and my own best self... under the bus. Work became my number 1 thing and it nearly killed me before God loosened its grip.
      3) For awhile, as I have noted in other places, alcohol set on the throne in my life. It was my number 1 thing! It was my god. I turned to it for company and for condolence. I turned to it when I was glad... and when I was sad. I needed it (period). I never even considered going through a single day without it, and at first, it rewarded and empowered me. When I drank, I danced like Fred Astaire, said things that seemed really witty, and generally felt as if the world was mine for the taking. But before long, my number 1 thing turned on me, and when I drank, people stayed as far away from me as they could. Substances can never be anyone's number 1 thing...
      So, 4) I gave myself over to appearances and possessions. Appearing to be SOMEBODY became the number 1 thing in my life. I went to any length to make a good impression on others because I wanted them to think that I was somebody. I bought a big house that I didn't need (and later sold at a sizable loss), pricey golf clubs that didn't improve my game, and I gave a lot of things away- all in an effort to make a positive impression on others. Of course, it didn't work. I didn't fool many, if any, people, and I certainly didn't fool myself. I was only pretending, and I would have done much better to have been authentic. Indeed, being authentic is the only way that any of us will even know the joy of "being known and loved anyway."
      But I was too self-absorbed to take the risk of being authentic. In fact, being self-absorbed was the problem. My love of self... took on several different forms, but when you get right down to it, I worshiped what Kenneth Haugk called the 5) "the omnipotent baby within." I- me, myself- was my own number 1 thing. I lived for me, and I can tell you that you will be in a heap of trouble... if you are your own number 1 thing! Bill Wilson (of AA fame) noted that a life lived on self-will cannot be a success, and Jesus noted that those who cling to their lives will lose them. This (and I think this is important)... is because "the self" is too small, too incomplete, too impotent... to soothe our troubled minds and give our restless souls the peace they crave. 
      Self is a weakling, and even if we dress it up with money, power, charm, and possessions, it is still a weakling. We need others. We need to experience and share "other-directed" love... and we need God! In fact, if we ever hope to experience life in its fullest and brightest colors, we must 6) make GOD OUR NUMBER 1 THING! We can love and have other things, of course. Indeed, we are called to love other people and enjoy life. We need community... and purposeful work was part of paradise. God has blessed us with many things that fill our hearts, minds, and spirits with joy. They have their place, but none of them should be the number 1 thing- not even church- or any of the many other really important things in your life!
      Sherry (who is the angel God used to get my to my feet) is the number one person in my life, and she has been ever since I came to my senses. I would not be here without her, but she would surely agree... that God must be the number 1 thing for both of us because He has given me a second-chance and both of us a fuller life! Friends, serving God is the number 1 thing. When we yoke ourselves to Christ, we are FREE from the chains of self... and as free men and women, we can give ourselves entirely to God and in the giving, come to love our neighbors as ourselves. Being your own number I thing is a prison! Choose God and set yourself free. Serve Him and you will finally be SOMEBODY. Amen.