Monday Memo 1259: The Power of One

After receiving the Macedonian vision and concluding that God was calling them to Europe, Paul and his companions immediately set sail. It was a significant step of faith. They crossed into new territory, entered a new continent, and followed what they believed was God's direction. If you had asked Paul what he expected to find, he may have envisioned large crowds, influential leaders, or immediate opportunities for widespread ministry.

Instead, he found a prayer meeting by a river. There he met Lydia, a businesswoman whose heart the Lord opened to Paul's message. She and her household believed, were baptized, and welcomed Paul and his team into her home. At first glance, it may not seem like much. After all, Paul had crossed the Aegean Sea following a divine vision only to find one woman who was willing to listen.

Yet that one woman became the foundation for the church at Philippi, one of Paul's strongest and most faithful ministry partners. What looked small at the beginning proved to be significant over time. That’s an important purpose lesson because most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what God can do through decades of faithful obedience.

I’ve written and published more than 100 books. I've now written 1,259 Monday Memos. How could I do all that? I did it all because I published my first book and wrote Monday Memo 1. I recognized the power of one. I often meet people who have enormous dreams. They want to open a homeless shelter, launch a counseling retreat center, build a ministry, create a business, or write a series of books. They believe size proves spirituality, but it’s faithfulness to the power of one that is the key to the dreams they have.

I recently met someone who wanted to help pastors’ wives with a conference and other resources. I challenged this person to help one wife and develop their ministry to other wives from there—to find what works well with the one and replicate that success to others. To the best of my knowledge, they ignored my advice and will continue to dream big while doing little, ignoring the power of one.

Purpose doesn’t usually unfold through grand gestures. It unfolds through faithful stewardship of what's in front of you today. Jesus taught this principle when He said, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" (Luke 16:10). We often focus on the "much" while God focuses on the "little." We dream about influence, impact, and expansion while God asks us to be faithful with one assignment, one opportunity, one relationship, or one open door.

Paul could have been disappointed by Lydia. He could have wondered why God had sent him across the sea only to meet one receptive person. Instead, he recognized her significance and invested himself fully in the opportunity before him. That takes maturity because purpose often arrives in forms we don't expect. We pray for nations and God gives us one person. We envision a movement and God gives us a conversation. We want immediate results and God gives us an opportunity to plant a seed. The challenge is learning to recognize that the seed is often the beginning of the harvest for which we've been praying.

Many people become frustrated because they feel behind. I frequently meet people in their forties who believe they should already have everything figured out. They think they should know exactly who they are, what they are called to do, how they're going to do it, and what success will look like. When those answers aren't fully evident or developed, they begin to panic or give up—or feel like they need to do something grandiose to “catch up.”

When I look back on my own life, I can see that I was still developing and emerging in my forties and fifties. I was learning, growing, experimenting, and discovering. Many of the things that now seem obvious weren’t obvious at all back then. God was still preparing me through experiences, relationships, opportunities, and even disappointments.

Now that I’m in my seventies, I find myself doing more than ever. The difference isn’t that I suddenly discovered purpose late in life. The difference is that decades of faithful obedience have accumulated. What you see in and through me today is the result of thousands of small decisions made over many years.

That’s why Lydia's story is so important. She reminds us that purpose isn’t always measured by size but by faithfulness. God often entrusts greater opportunities to those who learn to steward smaller ones well.

Paul didn’t know that day by the river would eventually contribute to a thriving church. He simply responded to the opportunity before him. Lydia didn’t know her decision would impact generations of believers. She simply opened her heart and home. Purpose grows the same way today.

What opportunity is sitting beside your river waiting for your attention? What small assignment have you dismissed because it does not look impressive enough? What relationship, project, idea, or act of obedience seems insignificant today but may become something much greater tomorrow?

Paul crossed a sea to reach one woman because God understood something Paul couldn’t yet see. The future often enters our lives one person, one opportunity, and one act of obedience at a time. Purpose isn’t built in a day. It’s built through years of faithful stewardship, one opportunity, one relationship, and one act of obedience at a time. Looking back, those small moments often prove to be the building blocks of everything God eventually entrusts to us. Never underestimate the power of one, because God rarely starts with many.

Your Turn

What small opportunity, relationship, or assignment have you been tempted to overlook because it seems insignificant? How might God be asking you to be faithful with what is already in front of you?

What Would Paul Ask You?

Are you so focused on doing something great that you are missing the importance of what God has already placed in your hands?

Purpose Moment

Thank God for the opportunities He has already given you, no matter how small they may seem. Ask Him for the wisdom to recognize the significance of today's assignments and the patience to trust His timing for greater opportunities in the future.