The "ONE"

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matt 4:19-20)

Behind these words is the power of belief. Jesus believed in His disciples and it showed through in their reaction when they were called. It was not just an opportunity to reclaim a lost dream (from the disciples viewpoint, the second chance to follow a Rabbi) but it was more than that, the beginning seeds of belief in “ONE”.

Worship the “ONE” true and only God and find that “ONE” to serve. It is the motto of Living Hope Church. More and more we are called not to impact the thousands of people that we don’t know while missing those we actually know. No instead God is calling you to focus on the field that you are currently in, those that you pass by each day without a notice of eternal significance. That repairman that you just pay to fix this or that, that dog groomer that you pass your pet off to, that friend that you randomly visit when it fits your schedule, it’s those people God is calling you to.

It’s those people in which you will change the generation of thousands, it’s in those people that the “ONE” will be found. You may honestly not think that you can change the world by believing in one person but I would beg to differ. Countless stories are told that bring a one, two or even a four tear jerk to one’s eye because of the difference one person made by believing in another person.

Take for example this powerful story of belief; Nothing - not even the nasty comment of a meddling aunt - would keep Roy from claiming his daughter.

When Roy married his wife, she had a young daughter from a previous marriage. Roy adopted her as his own, and then, in what seemed like no time, the couple had five more children. This oldest daughter, as you might expect, felt a little bit like an outsider at times, and it didn't help that some members of the extended family kept bringing up the fact that she wasn't Roy's daughter.

One aunt seemed especially obsessed with letting everybody know what was what. One evening, the family was hosting a small gathering of family and friends. As Roy was introducing his daughter - who was thirteen at the time - the aunt stepped forward and said, "Well, she isn't actually his daughter; she is from another relationship."

I can't explain this aunt's actions, but I sure admire Roy's response. He said adamantly, "No, she's my daughter. And she's an important member of our family." That was followed by a tense silence, except for the daughter - she was beaming. She had been claimed clearly and publicly.

Today, as this woman looks back on those events, she points to that incident as a turning point in her life. It brought security and confidence to her as she faced some difficult challenges in the following years. She says that her father's commitment to claim her as his own has had an almost supernatural effect on her life.

Through stories like this one person’s belief in another sparks a new generation of changed people in which belief overtakes unbelief and accomplishment triumphs over inaction. It’s time to start adding to your life something more than what you currently have. Ask yourself these questions; What do you want to do? What does God want you to do? What do you want to be? Who does God want you to be? Who is that “ONE” you can invest in?

“Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” (1 Cor 14:20)