“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:10-14

I know I’m dating myself with this reference, but there’s a famous scene from the movie, City Slickers. Grizzled cowboy, Curly, holds up one finger and tells a burnt-out and neurotic Mitch that life is about “just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean s**t.” When Mitch asks what’s the “one thing”, Curly smiles and says, “That’s what you gotta figure out.”

The other day, during a walk on my lunch break, I asked myself “What do I really want?” I was trying to figure out what internal forces drive me. Through my adult life, I’ve had some, shall we say not-so-great pursuits. I want to be financially well-off. I want to have the next new toy. I want to have things go my way. I want a reputation of being wise. I want security and comfort. As a friend recently put it, I wanted a life that was “bigger, better, and busier.”

Over the years, I’ve found those pursuits cost far too much and make promises they can’t keep.

So as I walked around the block near my work, four thoughts flashed into my mind. And while I’m not driven purely by these four things, they do form the core of what I live for.

I want to be with Jesus. I want to know Jesus. I want to be like Jesus. And I want to serve Jesus. Bottom-line, I am Jesus’ apprentice. I want to be with him, to learn from him, how to be like him, so I can live like him.

I want to be with Jesus: Jesus invited people to “Follow me.” This is the most amazing invitation anyone has received. So I want to take him up on it… for the rest of my life and beyond if he’ll let me. I want to be wherever he is. I want to wake up and have my mind instantly turn to him. I want to talk with him, hear his voice, and know his presence through all the moments of my life.

I want to know Jesus: I want to transcend just knowing about Jesus. I want to know him, like I know my best friend. I want to spend time with him and interact with him so much that I know what he loves. I want to know what makes him chuckle. I want to know what makes him shake his head. I want to know what makes him choke up. In a deep friendship, there are many subtle gestures, looks, and expression that only someone intimately acquainted with that person can recognize. I want that level of familiarity with Jesus. Like Paul, I want to be able to say, “I want to know Christ!”

I want to become like Jesus: I’ve been following Jesus for almost 40 years. The more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I want to be like him. The wonderful news is he’s completely competent and capable to teach us and form us into his likeness. I can’t think of any more beautiful words:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

I want to be shaped into his character. I want to move in his power. I want to have the faith and confidence that he had in his Father. I want to have the faithfulness and obedience he had to his father. I want to have Jesus’ mind about God and his wonderful world. Like Jesus, I want to see God’s goodness, joy, playfulness, care, and activity all around me, even in pain and suffering. I want to love others like Jesus did. I want to listen like him, care like him, challenge like him, serve like him, and heal like him.

I want to serve Jesus: In several places, Paul states we are made to do good works (Eph 2:10; 2Cor 9:8; Col 1:10; Tit 2:14; Tit 3:8; 1Tim 6:18). Good works aren’t necessarily momentous or glamorous. They are simple deeds done for the good of God and others. I want to spend the rest of my eternal life doing whatever Jesus needs and wants. Nothing is too menial or mundane for him. He has done so much for us, all I want to do is give my eternal existence back to him in whatever service he wants. All I know is that any service will be done in a world bathed with God’s glorious presence. How awesome will that be?!

I know all of this sounds pretentious. I hope you can believe me that I’m not trying to make myself out to be greater than I am.

Let me put it this way. There is a short saying I’ve heard that I absolutely love:

“The reward of following Jesus is Jesus.”

He’s all I want. He’s the most amazing person who has done and continues to do  such unfathomable goodness and beauty. He shines at the center of everything with breathtaking radiance and boundless extravagant love. And he invites us to join him in this life and eternally. Everything else just pales in comparison.

Jesus. He is at the core of EVERYTHING.

And all of the “stuff” we use to give meaning to him — theology, ecclesiology, history, tradition, dogma, sacraments, and systems — should make it easier to get to Jesus. Don’t get me wrong. All those things are essential and important. But all of those things should help us follow Jesus so we can be with him, know him, become like him, and serve him. 

It’s funny. Paul wrote something very similar to what Curly said. And he wrote it while sitting in prison, believing he was facing execution.

“Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.”
Philippians 3:8-9

Life truly is only about just one thing. Or rather one Person.