Read:
“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.”
- C.T. Studd
Charles Thomas (C.T.) Studd, a British missionary, dedicated his life to sharing Jesus with urgency and passion. He wrote this poem Only One Life near the end of his life as a powerful reminder of his conviction to live fully for Jesus.
After a personal encounter with Christ as a teenager, his life was never the same. He recalled, “I got down on my knees and said ‘thank you’ to God. Right then and there, joy and peace filled my soul. I knew what it meant to be ‘born again,’ and the Bible—once dry and distant—became everything to me.”
When his father passed away, he gave away his large inheritance to support mission work and care for orphans, so he could fully devote himself to the Gospel. His life reminds us that what matters most is living for what’s eternal.
Pray: Lord, what matters most is that people know you. Help me use all I am and all I have in partnership with you to seek and save the lost. Keep my heart focused on eternal things, and give me strength to live with urgency, love and with excellence.