By Rae Lynn DeAngelis

It can be tempting to measure success by numbers. After all, isn’t that the way of the world? Churches gauge success by attendance. Corporations gauge success by profit margins. Authors gauge success by the number of books sold. I’ll be honest with you. I’ve fallen into the ‘success by numbers’ trap myself. Whenever I offer a new class, I wonder how many people will attend. If only a few show up, I feel as though I have failed in some way.

Although the world functions in this way, it is not God’s way. God does not measure success by quantity—He measures it by our obedience to follow through.

In his Bible study Gripped by the Greatness of God, James McDonald shares a personal experience which truly demonstrates the power of one. Following a time when he had been struggling spiritually, James attended a youth conference at the prompting of his pastor. He knew it was time to get his life back on track with God. At the conference a powerful message was preached, leading James to rededicate his life:

James says,

“Pastor Maharias challenged us with “Do you want the character of Christ to grow in your mind? Then get the sewage out.” He wisely pressed us to make a decision. He challenged us to stand up and make a public decision to put only Christ-honoring messages in our minds. It was one of those times when I knew the Lord was speaking with me, so I stood up. I remember my body felt like lead. Out of several hundred young people, I was the only person to stand that day. The only one!”

Twenty years later, James had the opportunity to meet Pastor Maharias and asked him if he remembered the conference. The pastor said that he remembered it well because he felt very discouraged when only one person responded to his message.

James then proceeded to share with the pastor how he had been the one who stood up that day and how the experience had changed his life.

God has taken this one life (James McDonald) and touched millions of lives around the world. James is the senior pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel (a mega church in Illinois where more than 13,000 people attend worship service weekly). He also started a ministry called A Walk in the Word, which distributes daily podcasts to more than three million people each week. James has written several Bible studies and helped establish more than seventy churches worldwide. These are just a few of the ways God is working through this “one” man who (through obedience) devoted his life to Christ.

Still not convinced? Here are a few more examples of God accomplishing much with only one.

“So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.” (Genesis 2:21)

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19)

“By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:13-14)

Do you think that your life is too little to matter? Think again! In the hands of God, there is great power in one.

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