By Bob Bunn
In his song “My One Thing,” the late Rich Mullins talked about how people say they really just need one thing in life. What they mean, Mullins noted, is that they “need just one thing more.” For all its innovation and advancement, the human race never seems satisfied.
That’s an honest insight about human nature that is just as accurate today as when Mullins released his song over thirty ago. We live in a culture that’s never satisfied. We reach for the newest toys because we think that’s what will bring us satisfaction. We rely on a microwave mentality that demands things right now instead of allowing the slow cooker to simmer over time. We get caught in the rut of “one thing more” thinking.
We seek abundance, but we settle for discontentment—at least until we find the next big thing that will ensure our happiness.
Honestly, this isn’t just a twenty-first-century problem. It’s as old as human history. But it has always had the same answer. God is the only One who can meet our deepest needs and fill the void in our lives. He’s our sole hope for experiencing true abundance.
The anonymous writer of Psalm 16 understood that. He acknowledged God was His “portion” and the One who provided a “beautiful inheritance” (vv.5–6). With that assurance, he could embrace genuine joy in life and find rest from the chaos around him (v.9). Nothing else really mattered because he had everything he needed in God. It was a picture of absolute satisfaction echoed by the apostle Peter centuries later (2Peter 1:3–4).
All this talk about finding abundance and true contentment seems appropriate during our Advent celebration. On one hand, few seasons seem so dedicated to getting stuff, to finding that missing piece of the puzzle. We’re bombarded with “one thing more” messages everywhere we turn.
On the other hand, we naturally turn our focus toward the One who came to bring us life and peace and satisfaction. Three decades after He was laid in the manger, Jesus told His listeners that He is the true source of life—abundant life that makes a difference in this world and resonates into the next (John 10:10). While the enemy comes to strip away everything that matters in life, Jesus came to provide true satisfaction.
Don’t misunderstand…the material side of Christmas is nice and has its place. It just doesn’t last. The food will be great, but we’ll get hungry again. The presents we unwrap are special, but they’ll eventually need to be replaced. Nothing we give or get will produce eternal joy, so we shouldn’t spend too much energy chasing the perfect gift or building our identities around anything we might “need.”
That’s why Advent is a perfect time to break free from the “one thing more” mentality that overwhelms our lives. As we focus on the Messiah’s birth, let’s remember that He came to bring true peace, satisfaction, and abundance—not just for one day, but for eternity.
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