Singularity of Purpose: The Focused Christian

I’ve found that the most powerful times in my life, spiritually have been times when I have had the greatest intimacy with God and have focused myself on his business. Likewise, the driest seasons have been when I have gotten too busy to spend time with God.

Fixing our eyes on the prize and on things of eternal significance is the singular thing we have to do as believers.  What matters is how we respond to God’s gift, to the Father’s call.  The thought that struck me a while back is that word, “singularity“.  Singularity of function, singularity of purpose.

In the field of business, we would call it a “critical success factor“, that is, factors that most or all our activities must be aligned with.  My critical success factor is healing – the subject of healing.

When awake, I think of healing.  When asleep, I dream of healing.  In daily life, I visualize God healing.  I have led hundreds of people to the Lord and I thank God for salvation, but where I fit is healing. I have been involved in mercy ministry, counseling, writing, giving, teaching financial seminars, even children’s ministry, but healing ministry is where I know I should be.

Singularity does not mean I am obsessed or one-dimensional.  Even if we are obsessed, it is OK to be obsessed with God’s business.  But I hope you understand.  Life goes on, I go to work, I spend time with family, I empty the trash.   You can get so spiritual that you’re of no earthly good.  That’s not me.

Paul knew a little bit about singularity when he wrote to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:1):

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”

To paraphrase, Timothy was encouraged to spend his time on his calling and to make it his singular purpose.  I watched Joseph Prince the other night teach about receiving healing through communion and that was encouraging to see a man in this generation being bold about healing.  It is one of the ways to receive healing I listed earlier.

What strikes me is that most of the men and women prominent in healing ministry over the last century are dead or elderly now.  I’m sure those still alive are amazed at the extent to which the healing message of the gospel has almost disappeared in our day.  This is not only referring to America, but to Christianity globally.

I also do not refer to traditional denominations – they have long since moved on, or perhaps more accurately, regressed in their theology.

So back to singularity.  Singleness of purpose means that we pay more attention to God’s call than to what everyone else is doing.  That’s singleness of purpose. Personally, I’m looking forward to spending more time and more focus in ministry, doing what I know I was called to do.