The power of one | Teen Life Christian Youth Articles, Daily Devotions

The power of one

You might not change the world, but you can change someone's world.

You may have heard the Starfish Story. It goes like this:  

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die".

"Son", the man said, "don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!" After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one!”

Change begins with you

Most of us approach life like the man in this story. When we think about all there is to do for God in this world, the mountain top seems unreachable, and it really does become a wearying headache with no relief in sight. Where to begin? How to start? 

Start with the Bible and with prayer - God often begins with one: one person to be changed, one task to accomplish, one day to consider at a time. And in most every case, change begins with you, not the other person (Matthew 7:5). 

You need to begin with the true base point: you and God. You will not get anywhere unless you begin by humbly relying on his strength as you reach out to others.

God is ready to use you

Too many of us feel we know God and have “been there, tried that” without seeing our actions make a difference. But God can still use you and wants to use you for His purpose of changing lives through the Gospel and through your actions.

There are so many people who need to know God's love in their life ... and if you can make a difference for just one of them, then it will be worth the effort.

Adapted from an article on payh.org