The Power of One

One of our favorite dates is when Susan and I spend a couple hours in a bookstore. We drink coffee and peruse several of the new books. I could spend many hours at one sitting doing this.

There was one book that I lingered over for some time last Saturday night: The Unusual Suspect by Stephen Baldwin. Stephen is one of the Baldwin brothers, all of whom are well-known Hollywood actors. However, this particular brother definitely marches to the beat of another drummer. He is in love with Jesus.

When he was a young actor in New York City, Stephen met his soon-to-be wife on a bus. Her name was Kennya, a beautiful Brazilian design student. After getting married, they lived for awhile in Tuscon while Stephen was busy acting in "The Young Riders" T.V. show. By then they had two children and Stephen's wife felt the need for a nanny/housekeeper. Her extended family suggested that Kennya hire a Brazilian to do this work. Within a few weeks a woman moved from Brazil and spent a year with the Baldwins. She only spoke Portuguese, and yet she communicated a very powerful message that Stephen eventually "heard": all throughout the day she sang to Jesus.

This humble maid had such a profound impact on Kennya and Stephen that they eventually began attending a church, started reading their Bibles and committed their lives to Jesus Christ. In reading his book Saturday night, I could tell that the Baldwins are truly on fire for the Lord -- and are making a huge impact on others.

Isn't interesting how God often uses the most unlikely people -- humble, obscure, and nondescript -- to proclaim the life-saving message of Jesus to others? I thought of the fill-in preacher on a snowy Sunday in England who preached the gospel and reached young Charles Spurgeon, who later became one of the greatest preachers in England. Or the street corner preacher whom God used to turn A.W. Tozer's heart to Christ.

That Brazilian cleaning lady may have had no idea that her influence would one day impact a rising Hollywood star who would eventually write a book about his conversion and then profoundly effect others for Jesus Christ.

You may think, "But I'm just one person. And I'm not a Billy Graham. Or a Mother Teresa. Or a Max Lucado." However, if you and I are filled with the Spirit of Christ and willing to be used by God in whatever way He has planned for us, then He will use us in amazing ways. And we may never know the extent of our influence until we arrive in heaven.

There really is great power in one person, if he or she is captivated and consumed with the One who has all the power in the world.

Jim