The Importance Of An Individual
You remember the famous line by Linus who said, "Lucy, I love mankind. It's people I don't like." I think we can relate to Linus. We can feel for the starving masses in Africa or the homeless in Armenia . Yet, we can so easily ignore the individuals all around us who desperately need a touch of God's love through us.
The beautiful story Jesus told of the Shepherd who left the 99 sheep in order to go look for the one that was lost shows us how much He cares for one person and the effort He will extend just to reach one. Jesus' whole ministry on earth was one of touching individual lives, caring about people with names like Zacchaeus, blind Bartemaus, the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene–and on and on.
Jesus saw the crowds as hungry individuals, when His disciples more or less figured they could take care of themselves. He interrupted His schedule and His plans time and again to respond to individual requests–the man whose daughter was dying, the Centurian whose servant was sick, the woman who touched his garment in a crowd to find healing. Jesus never hesitated to take time for individuals.
In our modern mass media world, we would insist that Jesus not waste His time on individuals. He should save Himself for the crowds who were thronging to see and hear Him. After all, allowing these individuals to interrupt the schedule and interfere with the "big picture" would seem a poor use of time. Why spend time with one when you can reach thousands?
But Jesus always focused on individuals, and in His economy, that is the wisest investment we can make of our time and money.
Have you ignored that person at work who needs a listening ear? Have you forgotten to include a neglected child in some of your plans? Do you avoid that individual at church that seems to take so much of your time? Are you too busy for individuals?
I speak to myself as I do to you, for it's easy for me to be focused on talking to thousands of you by radio, and forgetting that there are individuals around me who need help. That's why one of our priorities here is to respond to your individual letters as quickly and personally as we possibly can. We are here to minister to individuals.
Think about those individuals in your life, and ask God to help you reach out to the ones all around you who need God's love through you.
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