When You Are the One

"Jesus died for you. God calls you. And eventually, there are steps of obedience only you can take."

Jesus told a story about a shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep to go after one that was lost.

I've heard that story most of my life.

Usually, I heard it from the perspective of evangelism.

The lost person.

The person far from God.

The one who needs rescuing.

And that's true.

But recently I've been wondering something else.

What if the one is you?

Not you as part of a crowd.

Not you as part of a church.

Not you as part of a ministry team.

You.

Individually.

Personally.

Uniquely.

One of the most profound truths in Scripture is found in the familiar words of John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..."

We quote that verse often.

But sometimes we miss the personal nature of it.

God loved the world.

But He also loved me.

He loved me enough to send His Son.

He loved me enough to pursue me.

He loved me enough to call me.

And here's the truth I'm continuing to learn:

No one else can be obedient for me.

No one else can take the steps God has asked me to take.

No one else can answer the calling God has placed on my life.

For most of my ministry, I've worked with teams.

I've built teams.

Led teams.

Traveled with teams.

And I thank God for every one of those relationships.

But much of what God has done in my life has happened one-on-one.

One man at a time.

One conversation at a time.

One act of obedience at a time.

Lately I've realized something.

Sometimes I've used other people as a cushion for obedience.

I wanted agreement.

Support.

Approval.

Partnership.

Someone to go with me.

Someone to confirm the direction.

Someone to make the risk feel safer.

And while community is a gift, there are moments when it becomes an excuse.

There are moments when we delay obedience waiting for someone else to join us.

But Jesus didn't wait for consensus before going to the cross.

He left the crowds.

He left the applause.

He left the expectations of others.

He even walked away from those who loved Him most.

Not because He didn't care for them.

But because obedience required Him to go somewhere they could not go with Him.

I've been thinking about that a lot lately.

Especially through the process of writing Soul Weathered.

No one else could write the book.

No one else could write the devotions.

No one else could pursue the publisher.

No one else could build the website.

No one else could write the blogs.

No one else could tell the stories God gave me to tell.

For years I waited for others to join me in certain things before I would move forward.

Sometimes wisely.

Sometimes fearfully.

And God has been showing me something:

There are assignments that belong only to me.

Just as there are assignments that belong only to you.

At some point every man has to decide whether he will obey God because everyone else approves...

Or because God has spoken.

That doesn't mean we become independent.

It doesn't mean we stop listening to wise counsel.

It doesn't mean we reject community.

It simply means we stop requiring other people to carry the responsibility for our obedience.

Because one day, when we stand before God, we won't answer for someone else's calling.

We'll answer for our own.

The beautiful thing is this:

The God who left the ninety-nine to pursue the one is the same God who calls the one into purpose.

The same God who rescued you.

The same God who knows your name.

The same God who knows the assignment He created you for.

And perhaps the question isn't whether God is speaking.

Perhaps the question is:

Will you take the next step even if no one else goes with you?

Let me ask you this—

What act of obedience have you been postponing while waiting for someone else's approval, agreement, or participation?

And what would happen if you trusted God enough to take that step anyway?