All for the One and the One for All

All for the One and the One for All by Jaelyn Nelson

Isaiah 52:10 says “The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.”

God desires ALL people to come to Him and to know Him - far and near, famous and unknown. As believers, sometimes we focus on reaching only people that look like us, and sometimes we value only those in the spotlight, like famous pastors or worship leaders. We don’t see all people with equal, intrinsic value; we don’t see people the way Jesus sees them.

I have been quick to judge based on someone’s appearance or where they came from. Before truly walking with Jesus, I was the first to say, “No, I can’t be friends with them” or “I don’t think we would get along”. In
reality, I was prejudiced and chose to overlook them because of our differences, rather than seeking to build new friendships and learn from them. When I saw people from different cultures or backgrounds, I made it my mission to steer clear of them at ALL cost. I look back on this time and see that my
motive was purely selfish. As I learned more of the Lord’s character, I saw His selfless love for all creation: the people of every nation. Seeing His love transformed my heart - my mission to avoid the nations transformed into a mission to reach the nations.

The Lord yearns for ALL people. If the Lord’s focus is on all His creation, ours should be too. I find it fascinating when the Lord uses the word “nation” in the Bible. Not only does it mean all people, but all places. Whether that place is your backyard or thousands of miles away, God wants all people to know Him.

In the Kingdom of God, every soul is valuable, and everyone plays an important role. No matter if you are the pastor of a large church in Egypt or a garbage collector in Michigan, you are valuable to God and important in the Kingdom of God.

If we are called to obedience (John 14:15), then we are called to be soul winners wherever Jesus has placed us, to the people that He has placed around us (Matthew 28:19-20). We can’t allow the fear of man or the pride of our hearts to hinder us from the Great Commission that Jesus has given. No matter how big or small, how rich or poor, the Lord desires all people to come to Him and to know Him. And He desires our obedience to see His Great Commission accomplished.

CONVICTION

No little people, no little places

PRACTICAL CHALLENGE

Take off your earthly glasses and put on your spiritual ones. Make a new friend this week who is not like you and learn about them to see how unique God makes each of us.