“If but only one.” This is a phrase God spoke to my heart as He started giving me more and more assignments which involved stepping out of my comfort zone and being bold. This phrase has been a continual encouragement for me as the Holy Spirit leads me to offer words of encouragement to others or to engage in acts of generosity.
When the Lord first started giving me assignments I felt uncomfortable and I felt insufficient. I felt like words of encouragement or acts of generosity coming from me would have no significance in reaching someone. I thought if the same words or acts would be coming from someone else they would be well received, but from me they wouldn’t have significance. Obviously, this was lies the enemy had fed me that left me in bondage to my insecurities and prevented me from being able to be used by God to reach others in a way He wanted me to. Praise God that I am no longer in bondage to those insecurities!
For anyone who feels led to encourage others in any way, you have to operate in the peace of trusting that God has purpose in every single thing He calls you to do, even when you won’t always see the fruit of it. Sometimes you will have opportunity to see the fruit of it unfolding before your eyes, and that is an amazing thing, but other times your role in encouraging is to plant a seed that you will not be able to see the outcome God has planned. Find peace in being obedient. As you are obedient to anything He calls you to do, you can trust that He has amazing purposes attached to every willing act of obedience.
In all that you do, “if but only one” is reached that has to be enough! If you are in a room of people and He gives you a word to speak for someone, speak it out! It may make absolutely no sense to everyone else in that room, but if it reaches that one person He intended it to reach, there is so much power in that!
I’m going to give an example of this in my own life that happened right after He started to speak to me about reaching “if but only one.” The Lord put it on my heart to put together this small event for single moms and their kids who had been connected in my small group at one point or another. He put it on my heart to invite all of them, even if they had only come to one meeting and never returned. First, let me just say, event planning is something I’ve never done and never been interested in doing; the thought of it gives me anxiety. But, this was different. The Lord placed it on my heart and I was willing, and as a result the Holy Spirit led me in every detail. I even found myself designing invitations and special name badges and ordering medals for the moms and kids. I’m just saying it was His strength and power at work in me!
So the day came and went and I had my “if but only one” moment where the Lord blessed me with opportunity to see the fruit. There was this one lady in particular who had only come to one small group the summer before and didn’t come back. In that one small group meeting she had come to, she expressed that she had some social anxiety. I really felt a strong push to invite her and to remind her of the event as it neared. She made a last minute decision the night before the event that she would attend.
I could tell some moms and kids enjoyed the event more than others. For some moms and kids, being outdoors and having friendly competition was not their thing (I’m sure you all know the type of kid who can’t handle losing so throws the monopoly game when they lose — hopefully not your own little angel)! So, by the end of the event some had left early and some got enjoyment out of the time. No matter how much anyone enjoyed it or didn’t I knew it was all worth it as God showed me the “if but only one.”
At home settling down for the night, I received a text from this lady who had expressed before to having social anxiety and had never came back to group after one meeting. She sent me several pictures she had taken of her kids, who looked as happy as if they were at Disney, and she said these words, “Thank you for today. I needed it.” After giving God glory and sharing with her that God had led every detail of the event, including who to invite, she responded, “He really guided me there today through you.” I don’t know all the details of what this lady struggled with and what all she was set free from that day, but I’m telling you God did a powerful work! He blessed me with the opportunity, in this instance, to have a glimpse of the fruit that came out of my obedience. We won’t always see the fruit, but I know He showed me it that day to remind me the importance of “if but only one” being reached as we step out in obedience to all He calls us to do.
So, I encourage you, whatever God places on your heart to do, you do it! Step out of your comfort zone when its required, climb over your walls, speak when you think you’re not sufficient, pray when you worry your words won’t flow, give when you don’t see the impact it could make! Step out and do all He calls you to do! Let His power flow through you! If but only one person is reached, if but only one person is healed, if but only one person experiences freedom, if but only one person is saved!
Praise God!
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak because we know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to Himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:13-15)
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Soar On Wings 