Last month I looked at some of the subtle lies Satan plants in our hearts without us even knowing it. In actuality, I’m on a cleaning binge. I’m working to clean out the lies I have unwittingly embraced and that have kept me from enjoying the abundant life Jesus promised.
A lie I’d like to peel apart today is “If only one person is changed by _____________, then it was worth it.” You fill in the blank. Changed by:
- The encouraging words I spoke
- The prayers I uttered
- The time I spent leading and teaching a Bible study
- The book I wrote.
What would be on your list?
When you give to the Red Cross or Salvation Army in the midst of a crisis such as a devastating hurricane or more recently the Russian invasion of Ukraine, do you expect those dollars to help only one person? Of course you don’t. I know I don’t.
So why do we settle for the “if only one person” explanation in other areas of our lives?
Yes, we’re glad—we’re delighted—that one person is changed. I do not want to discount that by any means. But behind that statement is the subtle lie that “God isn’t capable of reaching more than one.”
But Ephesians 3:20 tells us God is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
God is a God of abundance. He is a God of “be fruitful and multiply.” No multiplicity exists when you multiply by the number 1.
Jesus spoke to crowds and changed their lives. As the word went out about Him, more and more people came to hear Him and be changed.
When he healed the sick, he ministered to one person at a time. But what happened after that? That one went out and told others who then believed Jesus for healing. Like the ripples on a pond, what Jesus did one at a time extended far beyond the one.
One little boy gave his lunch and Jesus fed 5000 people with that one lunch. Jesus will do the same for you. Whatever you do for God, He will use it and multiply it far beyond one person.
Don’t let the devil use this subtle lie to discourage you or stop you from doing what God has called you to do. God created the heavens and the earth and all that is therein. He is more than capable of reaching more than one person through you. Expect and believe that what you do impacts more than one person.
Encourage yourself with these words: “with God all things are possible.”
Is this phrase “if only one person” a part of your vocabulary? Has it had a positive or negative impact on you? Share in the comments below.
Hi Deb. I enjoy your blog posts. This is a really good one. I’d say, If only one person was encouraged by my cheerleading and writing, it would be worth it. God gave me the gift of “encourager.” I’ve been one for many many years. I’m from Michigan; I like to drink water; my favorite books of today include romance, but I also read many other genres. I love historicals, mysteries, and suspenses as well. Keep writing these encouraging posts!!!