Only One Life
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” — C.T. Studd
I first read that stanza from C.T. Studd’s famous poem as a teenager. His words etched an indelible mark on my mind and continue to whisper their counsel to my soul. They give me pause. They challenge me to examine how I invest my time, energy, and resources. I find myself asking, “Will this have lasting kingdom impact? Am I doing this to the glory of Jesus?”
C.T. was a British missionary who spent fifteen years preaching the Gospel in China, six years in India, and the rest of his life sharing Christ throughout Africa. He founded the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade (WEC), a legacy that still bears fruit today.
As I write this, I’m enjoying the last few days of my fifties. This Tuesday, I’ll turn sixty. That number carries weight—not in burden, but in reflection.
Lately, I’ve been reading and praying, trying to discern what this next season of life should look like. Author and coach Bob Biehl calls our sixties “the strategic decade.” I like that. It feels right.
Last Friday evening, Teresa and I were out with some local friends celebrating my milestone. During dinner—over falafel, no less—they posed three thoughtful questions:
- “If you could give counsel to your thirty-year-old self, what would you say?”
- “What’s still on your bucket list?”
- “If you could do it over again, is there anything you would do differently?”
They’re big questions. I’ve pondered them before, but I wasn’t quite prepared to answer them mid-bite. Still, I gave brief responses that, even now, continue to resonate:
- To my thirty-year-old self: Enjoy life more. God has your life in His hands. Trust Him—He will lead you to places and opportunities you cannot imagine.
- Bucket list: Enjoy my family and friends. Finish the small projects around the house. Play my part in helping reach every tribe, nation, and tongue. Invest in my grandkids and their walk with Jesus. Visit the places in the world Teresa and I still want to see.
- Do differently? Worry less. Let go of the small things. Put my type A tendencies in check. Breathe and enjoy the moment more.
Viktor Frankl, in Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote something that echoes this journey of mine:
“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself… Success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it.”
That quote reminds me not to chase impact, but to live faithfully and let the impact follow.
So here’s what I want: to prayerfully pursue this next decade to the glory of God. To be present and intentional—with my family, my friends, my Concentric partners and church, and whatever ministry opportunities the Lord entrusts to me. To smell the roses, laugh often, and be grateful for the beautiful life God has given me.
There really is only one life, and it will soon be past. But by His grace, I want to make sure what’s left behind will last.
The full poem is below…
Only One Life
By C.T. Studd
Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
