An old age question gets examined in Master of One by Jordan Raynor.

Is less truly better?

Raynor presents his argument in the book by drawing on biblical teachings, anecdotes of various individuals who have harmonized their Christian faith and careers, and his own quest to achieve mastery in the purpose he believes God has designed for us.

Living in a world with countless options, we favor quantity over quality. Master of One states the claim that many of us end up becoming a “jacks-and-jills-of-all-trades and masters of none.” As a result, we end up having mediocre careers and never living the purpose that God has for our lives.

Raynor urges Christians to become masters of their vocation and craft in order to gain true respect from the world. The book breaks down the exploration of mastery into three main sections: Purpose, Path, and Promise. The sections are interconnected and flow into a cohesive blueprint on how a believer can gain mastery.

Master of One provides many insights and I spent my reading time highlighting most of them in the book. Here are a couple of them that have remained with me since I finished the book:

“I had no clue he was a believer and then one day, I was asking him some questions about leadership, and in a really cool and casual way, he started to share his philosophy of leadership with me. And it was modeled after Jesus. So, this guy that I have grown to respect professionally is sitting there, explaining that the reason why he is who he is, is because of his faith and because he follows Christ. Given my upbringing and what I thought Christians looked like out in the marketplace, that just really blew me away. God used that man to just totally destroy all the wrong thoughts I had about Christianity.”

Raynor illustrates this point towards the end of the book with a story about an entrepreneur who drifted away from Christianity as he grew older. The entrepreneur mentor’s actions illustrate how Christians can showcase their faith through their dedication and skill rather than through vocal declarations.

“For a Christian in any art form or any business or any work in the world, the most important thing of all is to do the work right and to do it well. That’s what Christianity is all about. Doing the right thing and doing it well.”

Raynor interviews Douglas Gresham, the famed C.S. Lewis’ stepson, who has carried on his stepfather’s legacy in creating entertainment representative of the aforementioned paragraph. Doing it correctly and with excellence will convey a message more powerful than any sermon.

Finally, while a book such as Master of One may cater to a niche audience, I firmly believe that we all have innate talents and strengths given to us by God that we should dedicate ourselves to mastering, as our actions often speak louder than our words.