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April 10, 2010
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Have you ever felt, "What's the use? Alone, I can't make a difference!" According to Solomon, the wise man of old, two are better than one: "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him; a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) In general, two are better than one, and three together are even stronger. Still, one person, in many venues, can make a difference. Among millions of citizens, for example, it is easy to be immobilized by the belief that one person cannot settle the matters of state or dramatically affect the national course of events. History proves otherwise. In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England. In 1649, one vote caused Charles I of England to be executed. In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German. In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union. In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Jackson from impeachment. In 1875, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic. In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of the United States. In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party. And in 1941, one vote saved Selective Service - just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked. That should be enough to convince us the efforts of one can and do make a difference. Realizing that it is within the reach of everyone to materially affect the course of history should cause us to take very seriously the opportunities we have to cast a vote for our candidate of choice. While that is important, there is a far more valuable way to make a difference. From time to time, we all have opportunities to affect the eternal destiny of those in our circle of associates. Maybe you have sat in the class of a particularly skilled Bible teacher, or listened to a powerfully persuasive sermon from the pulpit and concluded, "Who am I? I am not equipped to lead another to Christ. Let someone else do that work." Perhaps you are not an impressive Bible scholar. Perhaps you are not a noted orator of the gospel message. Perhaps you are not skilled in handling Scripture or persuading the lost. While deep knowledge of God's Word and skill in presenting it are good to cultivate, they may not be necessary to save a lost soul. Consider the case of Andrew in John 1:40-42. He went, found his brother Simon, said simply, "We have found the Messiah," and brought him to Jesus. Simon later became the great apostle Peter, the first one to introduce the gospel of the Savior to the Jews, and later the Gentiles. Peter was a moving force in the cause of the Lord. And it was Andrew's simple introduction that made the difference. By now you may be thinking, this article sounds like it is all about us. What we can do. Well, it is,... and it isn't. To be sure, there is another essential ingredient in this "formula for one to make a difference". That is God. No disciple of His Son is ever alone. With God on one's side, victory is assured. There are conditions, however. Denominational Christianity would have us believe there are none. Be faithful and your marriage will get better. Be faithful and your business will prosper. Be faithful and your health will improve. Nowhere in His Word do I find these kinds of guarantees. Some of those faithful servants of the Lord in Hebrews 11 were successful in life - Noah escaped the flood, Abraham received an inheritance, Sarah though aged gave birth to an heir, Moses became the leader of God's people, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and the walls of Jericho fell down - because of faith. Verse 32 says that others "conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promisees, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection." That's a lot of success in this life... because of faith. But, that's not the end of the story. Hebrews 11 also tells of those who were tortured, suffered mocking and flogging, or were chained and imprisoned. "They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated..." (verses 35b-37) All because of faith. Clearly, faithfulness does not guarantee earthly, physical success. Being faithful in all circumstances guarantees only spiritual success. However, that is more than enough. After all, in view of eternity, that is all that counts. If we want God in our corner, the cause must be God's cause, not man's. And, all things must be in God's time, not ours. We may suffer pain or deprivation or apparent failure according to our frail, human view. Even death. But the end of those who remain faithful to Christ and His cause is guaranteed victory, in God's time and God's way. As Jesus said, "... do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) |
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