Pastor’s Corner: “One by One”
A father and son were walking along a beach after a powerful storm. In fact, the storm was so strong that as the waves crashed and the wind blew, hundreds of starfish were washed ashore and left far from the water they needed to survive. As they walked, the father and son began a rescue mission, picking up starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. When the boy looked at the hundreds of remaining starfish, he became discouraged. “Dad, there’s too many. We can’t save them all. We can’t make a difference!” The father looked at the starfish in his hand. The creature would have never made it back into the ocean on its own. As he threw the starfish back in the ocean, he told his son, “We’re making a difference to this one.”
1 John 2:6 (NIV) – 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. This could be one of the most humbling verses in all of Scripture. Think about the statement that John was making here in this verse. He is begging people not just to follow Jesus with their words, but to show it with their actions. The way that we live, talk, and breathe should reflect the fact that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Living a life of faith and obedience to Jesus can be overwhelming and seem impossible at times. In a world populated by more than seven billion people, does one person really matter that much? Many, even Christians, seem to think that they cannot make a significant difference. Looking at the world with all the deception, evil and lies, we ask ourselves: How can we possibly make an impact for the kingdom of God? One step of obedience to Jesus at a time. Sometimes I can get discouraged by trying to get “everything right” in my life based upon what I think Jesus wants. And when this unravels (as it always does), I feel one of two things. Either that I have failed Jesus, or that Jesus has failed me (both of these are incorrect). The effect is that I distance myself from Him.
Really the simplicity of our walk in faith is to ask Jesus, how can I show love to you right now, today, one step at a time? Overwhelming odds can make cowards of us all. But Jesus is not asking us to figure everything out and fix all ours and everyone else’s problems at once. He is asking us to stay close to Him, love Him and obey Him one step at a time. John 14:15-17 (AMP) 15 “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments. We may think that this is too small and will not having an effect for the kingdom of God in the world. But your one step of obedience can make a world of difference in one person’s life.
You can make a difference… even if it’s only one by one. Your life matters. Your testimony matters. Your prayers matter. You matter! God has called each of us – not just the pastor or the missionary – to be a voice of encouragement to someone. Bless someone. Make a difference. We may never reach them all—that is humanly impossible. But we are responsible for those we come in contact with. And with God’s help, one at a time, we can make a difference in their lives! AMEN
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton