Start Small

January 6, 2023

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). John 1:41 NIV

Robert Meder ended up impacting many, many people. But he didn’t wait until he could win the world. He started in his immediate circle. Jacob DeShazer was a lost and angry young solder, so Robert just started there, sharing his life and what happened when he met Christ. Jake took Robert’s witness seriously and when he was in solitary confinement it all came back to him. It played a major role in his own life transformation. When Jake met Jesus personally in that tiny cell, he immediate picked up the challenge to share the Good News. He had one person, only one, with whom he had any real contact—his Japanese guard. And that guard had no warmth for Jake. But that was who was in his circle, and Jake started there.

Both men accepted the change to be salt and light and God did amazing things through them. Though Robert Meder left this life early, as a prisoner of war dying from dysentery, all of the thousands Jake impacted over thirty years have Robert’s fingerprints on them too. They didn’t let inexperience, lack of a track record, or overwhelming odds stop them. God widened their circles to give them opportunities and success beyond what they could have even imagined. Asia, the United States, and truly the world has seen many people come to faith in Christ to populate heaven as Robert and Jake lived as salt and light. Then those who found Jesus through them realized this is why they were here. The total of one small start is overwhelming! The ticker continues even now.

Start where you are. God has put you exactly where you are, knowing there are people who need you to step up and volunteer to shape your life around His purpose. He has placed you where you are to love others the way He has loved you starting with the one or ones closest to you. You never know what God will do with your obedience in your own life and then past you in the lives of others.

Your 2023 will be fulfilling and transformative as you prioritize what’s most important to Jesus. What’s important to Him? People. All of us. He wants everyone to know and receive His love. They “get it” when we love them as He has loved us. That kind of love is sacrificial, risky—no guarantees people will always respond as you hope and pray they will. But there will be many who step up to a life that is beyond anything they ever thought could be. They, too, will discover why they are here, and life will never be the same again.

• Spend time today and this weekend thinking about why you are here and how you can more completely follow Jesus. Who is close in your circle? Who should get your first attention? Who are the people around you in daily activity that need to desire a taste of God because they see your life? Pray for yourself and for those who need you now.