To Will One Thing

“Purity of heart is to will one thing,” wrote Soren Kierkegaard, the 19th century Christian philosopher. “Blessed are the pure in heart,” said Jesus, “for they shall see God.” But to will one thing! How very difficult that is!: to will one thing, to desire one thing “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Our Father, who art in heaven, Thy will be done, Thy Kingdom come! “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” said Jesus, and you shall lack for nothing else. Divide your loyalty between the Kingdom of God and some other goals-even one other goal-and, no matter how successful you may seem, your life is a failure; you are lost. How very difficult is the Christian calling!

Purity of heart is to will one thing. We must confess that we are too often not single-minded but double-minded. We will many things and, among the things we will is that God should go along with what we…