THE POWER OF ONE

"But God's free gift is not like Adam's offense. For if many people died as the result of one man's offense, how much more have God's grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus the Messiah, been showered on many people!" (Romans 5:15 ISV)



Have you ever felt helpless and hopeless about the faith of your loved ones or friends?  If you have the Spirit of Christ in you, there will be a natural yearning in your heart for the salvation of others.  God promises in His word that ONE can make a difference!  That's right...you alone can make a difference in the lives of many.

If you just concentrate on devoting yourself to Him, and focus on your own behavior, He will honor and reward your obedience by using you to impact your loved ones and draw them to Him.  The scripture reminds us that "Whoever needs discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." (Proverbs 10:17)

The devil will try to convince you that it doesn't matter how you live your life around others, but the bible teaches us differently.  Each day our actions will influence others in a positive or negative way.  You can do others a lot of good by living a disciplined life, or you can harm them by living a sloppy, careless life. 

Christians may cringe at the thought of being held accountable to this extent, but we are role models to a dying world.  We as believers should rejoice that we have a God-given power to make a difference in the world for His glory!  Job 22:30 tells us, "He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."  We need to have a heart that is bent toward God's will - a heart that wants above all else to please Him. Then the Lord will save even those who are "not innocent," simply because of our devotion to Him.

If there are some loved ones in your own life who you long to see saved and delivered, please know that "by the obedience of one," many can be "made righteous". You can make a difference in your family, your school, and your workplace. If you will just concentrate on serving the Lord with all your heart, and glorifying Him with your daily life, He will honor your obedience by using you in mighty ways to lead multitudes to Him!

Don't get discouraged and lose faith if you don't see an immediate change, God works in His own time.  We are not God.  Our job is to serve Him and pray for others.  Remember,
 "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." (James 5:16 NLT)
If you just stay focused on living a righteous life before God, He will take care of the rest.  You are not to judge or be critical of the unsaved ones.  Do your job as a believer and leave the rest to God.  His promises alone should bring joy to your heart!

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me the privilege and the power to touch and change lives for Your glory. Today, I renew my commitment to love and serve You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Thank You for using me in new and exciting ways for Your glory as I walk in obedience to You! I praise You for the wonderful miracles that only You will do in the lives of my friends and loved ones. In Jesus' name, Amen.