And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar." Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"
Mark 8:3-4
The disciples may have been asking something very personal: "How can one person make a difference?" When you look at what's happening in our nation and in our world, you may have also muttered those very words. What can I do to make a difference in the world? I tell you, you can do a lot. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God's workmanship. The Greek word is poiema (this is where we get our English word for "poem"). The idea here is that you are God's work of art--a masterpiece! I'm sure some of you feel that you're a real piece of work all right, but be encouraged that God sees you as His work of art.
The Lord knows every one of us, and He sees us with all of our uniqueness. He is able to use your special gifts and abilities to accomplish amazing things. But you say, "I'm not a preacher. I'm not a pastor, a teacher, or a miracle worker. I don't know what could I do!" Do you know that one kind act on behalf of Jesus Christ can change the world?
One year in Mexico, five or six students from our School of Evangelism prayed that Jesus would use them as they were out handing out tracts. These students weren't super-humans or super-speakers. They were ordinary people, simply asking that Jesus would use them to help somebody. And just as they finished praying, they looked up and a man who had an arm that was all bent up and held to his side, started to step out in the middle of traffic. He was actually trying to commit suicide.
Immediately, one of the students grabbed him and pulled him back. And as they started to speak with this man, he told them that he had no reason to live. He said that he had tried to kill himself the day before, but failed, so he was trying again today. These ordinary students told the man that they had prayed for God to give them someone to help. They also shared with him the message of salvation and that God wanted to save this man's life. At the end of all of this, the man prayed with them and asked God to come into his life. This man was changed forever simply because of the prayers of a few faithful, ordinary students (and one strong student pushing a man out of harm's way).
Can one person make a difference? I say a resounding, "Yes!"
