The Power of the One Thing

This singular thing will inform and clarify every choice.

By Clint FISHER, Dean of Students and Families

In today's culture, we are faced with a deluge of options and opportunities. We live in a fast-paced world, which is fast-paced in part because the quality choices available are so numerous. Yet, we are keenly aware that we are not satisfied - not entirely happy. We hear the ache inside that tells us there is room for more in our lives.

Why are we not full in a world that provides so many good things? A nice meal with those we love seems like a treat that should satisfy. The idea of shopping for, giving, and receiving gifts seems exciting. Being invited to be a part of something bigger than ourselves makes us feel important and wanted. However, even with all these things, the emptiness remains, so the search continues.

The choice between the power of options or the power of singularity presents a quandary that can undoubtedly lead us to great satisfaction or great despair. We approach our lives truly trying to make the best choices. We weigh out the options and then choose the one that offers the best solution to the perceived problem, need, or want. But often, all those available options won't fill our deepest needs, however good they may be. A new outfit will not make us a better friend, and a new car will not make us more successful. Our choices, like a slice of pizza, will only satisfy us for a moment.

It is as if we are asked to choose whether to live our lives equipped with a thimble or a strainer. If we buy into the idea that we must experience everything the world tries to sell us, we naturally choose the strainer approach. We will pour all of life through it, seeking to find something that brings meaning and joy. We are good at persistently chasing after life and sifting through the options left in our strainer. Yet soon, we will be empty once again.

The problem is that we are searching for the elusive treasure floating in the water. What if it isn’t the treasure that is most valuable but the water itself? If the water is most valuable, the strainer is perfectly designed for failure. What is most valuable slips away while we are distracted by what is left behind. Would it not be better to have a thimble-full of what is truly satisfying than a large strainer full of trash and rubbish caught up in the water?

Once you find the one thing worth dying for, you have also found the one thing worth living for. This singular thing will inform and clarify every choice. This one thing will provide direction, energy, and real hope. While pursuing it may necessitate saying no to other things, this one thing – if it is really the true one thing – will provide a purposeful, satisfying, secure life. It will do so because it will connect us to Christ and, thereby, to real life. This is the power of singularity to simplify the real world and satisfy our souls.