In “My One Word,” authors Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen challenge the conventional self-help approach to personal transformation. The book argues that lasting spiritual growth comes not through willpower alone but through focusing on a single word that aligns your heart with God’s work in your life. “Self-help is a popular idea and, on the surface, a source of comfort. The concept implies that we can become whatever we want to become. Without help from anyone, except perhaps a book writer. This speaks to the essence of what we long for: to be the self-made man or woman. It is, after all, the American Dream” (31).

This approach reflects our cultural tendency to believe “God helps those who help themselves” (32), a concept not found in Scripture. The authors note how “we value initiative and effort in others and assume that’s what God values in us too. We qualify ourselves based on how hard we work” (32). However, this mindset misses the fundamental truth that transformation comes through God’s work in us, not our striving.

The book emphasizes the difference between what humans and God prioritize: “We focus on the behavior…God focuses on the heart. We focus on the social situation…God focuses on the spiritual condition” (39). This distinction reveals why many self-improvement efforts fail—they target behaviors without addressing the deeper heart issues that drive those behaviors.

Instead of sweeping promises that “inevitably breed feelings of failure” (40), Ashcraft and Olsen recommend selecting one word as a focal point for spiritual formation. “The aim is for you to use your one word to get into a focused posture and remain there while you depend on Christ. Change is possible. Focus is required” (40). This approach aligns with Dallas Willard’s observation that “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning” (41).

By choosing a single word and keeping it visible throughout the year, we position ourselves to receive God’s transforming work—similar to how a broken bone needs to be set before it can heal. The process acknowledges our limitations while inviting God’s unlimited power to change us from the inside out, as Jesus reminded us in John 15:15, “without abiding in Christ, we can accomplish nothing.”

Source: My One Word, by Mike Ashcraft & Rachel Olsen

Disclaimer: Information in my “slip-box” doesn’t necessarily reflect my agreement with the source or all its content. Recording diverse perspectives helps strengthen one’s position beyond the echo chamber of like-minded thinkers. By documenting alternative viewpoints, we engage in the intellectual wrestling match that ultimately deepens our understanding.

I aspire to post one note from my “slip-box” every weekday. If you want to learn more about how to work with knowledge, click this link: What is knowledge management?