“God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being build. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water.” (1 Peter 3:20 NIV)
A small ministry is not an ineffective ministry. Noah saved eight, and with them the whole world. Joseph saved his family (seventy in all), and through them, his entire people four hundred years later. Jesus focused on just twelve and lost one. Even perfect ministers run the risk of loss.
“There are no little people and no little places.” (Frances Schaeffer)
I remember being really discouraged as a stay-at-home mom, years ago. I was haunted amidst the daily tasks of diaper-changes and snack duty: Is this worth it? Am I making a difference? But now, fifteen years later, I’m watching my kids enter the world as confident Christ-followers and I’m convinced of the value of every sacrifice I made as a mother. These two souls are still the most important ministry I’ll ever tend to.
Noah and Joseph and Jesus teach us that the few are worthy of full effort. No small places, no small people. We never know who we might be raising up, where they may go, who they might become.
We recall, Jesus preached about going after the one. And He pursued us as though we were the whole world to Him, didn’t He? Let us love the people He puts in front of us – the few or the many – with the same sort of ferocity as His love for us.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wonders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that didn’t wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones would perish.” (Matthew 18:12-14 NIV)
Lord, may we live convince that there are no little places and no little people. Help us love the ones that You put in front of us. May You find us faithful, even with a few. Amen.