JULY 16, 2025

   “My father told me once that the most important thing every man should know is what he would die for.” 

― Tana French, Faithful Place

PSALM 19-21

7The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.(19:7-9)

ACTS 19:21-41

23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

JOURNAL 

“My father told me once that the most important thing every man should know is what he would die for.”
― Tana French, Faithful Place

That line lingers with me today—not as a dramatic sentiment, but as a piercing question. Do I know what I would die for? Because the truth is, we all live for something. A career. Approval. Control. Comfort. But what we live for will ultimately shape what we’d die for, whether we’ve named it or not.

Paul knew his answer.

In Acts 19, we watch as Paul is again thrown into chaos, not for being violent or power-hungry, but simply for proclaiming truth. A riot breaks out in Ephesus. Demetrius the silversmith stirs up the crowd because Paul’s preaching threatens their business and their idols. But Paul doesn’t back down. He doesn’t panic. He stays rooted. Because his life has been completely given over to one thing—the kingdom of God. His purpose is clear. His direction, unwavering. His life, not his own.

Psalm 19 reminds me why Paul could live that way: “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul… The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart… The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” (Psalm 19:7–8) Paul wasn’t following a trend or a passion project—he was following truth. And the truth, when planted deep, reorients everything. It brings clarity. Simplicity. Purpose.

I think about that old movie City Slickers, and the cowboy Curly’s simple answer: “One thing.” That line used to make me laugh. Now it makes me think. What is my one thing? If I can’t name it, if I’m scattered, chasing too many hopes, seeking too many crowns...I’ll lack the courage and conviction to stand when life presses hard.

Jesus said it plainly in Luke 9: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23–24)

Paul had lost his life, and found it.

He wasn’t afraid of death, rejection, or discomfort because his life had already been laid down. He had one thing...Christ. And that gave him the freedom to persist through persecution, misunderstanding, and suffering.

I want that kind of clarity. That kind of simplicity. Not a cluttered life filled with shallow commitments, but a surrendered life built on the radiant, soul-refreshing truth of God’s Word.

So today I ask myself:
What is the one thing I would die for?
Better yet, what is the one thing I will live for?

Because until I answer that, I’ll drift.
But once I do, once I truly lose my life in Him, I will finally begin to live.

23Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 

LUKE 9:23-24