Finding the One

I have been challnged recently about my perspective as to my contribution to the Kingdom. This morning in my prayer time I was reminded of the parable of the lost sheep. To Christ the message was all about ministering to one individual, not to plan a program to minister to a group, or congregation, or the crowd or reaching the masses.

Jesus did a lot of one on ones. I can't help but feel, don't get me wrong here - I strongly believe in setting goals, designing programs, having an agenda - is very important in winning the Kingdom. But ultimately the Kingdom is won one individual at a time and when it comes down to finding the one you are to reach it is a matter of going out and looking for them.

I think sometimes my focus has been on the feeding of the sheep. Now that is the job for the Pastor, but we undershepherds are to be going out looking for the one that is lost and bringing them back in. I think we forget that it is in our daily going abouts that we encounter these solitary, individual ones. I am convinced that God in His divine wisdom sets us on a path that will provide opportunity to minister to individuals who are hurting, seeking, looking for a connection to the reality that is God.

We seek to know what God's will is. We pray to have a revelation so we can be about the Father's business and accomplishing His purpose for our life. Well, this is it. Our purpose is to find the Ones each day and to minister to them the love that Jesus wants to pour into their lives. We want to dynamically do something we consider significant, important; we want to be taking the Kingdom by force. But, from God's perspective nothing is more important than finding one lost sheep, tending to it's hurts and bringing it back safely to the fold. This is our purpose and it is how we fulfill God's will in our life.

If each individual would look around their day to day asking God to help them see those around them through His eyes, they would easily spot that special one the Father's heart is aching to touch. It is the consistency of daily being about the Father's business that finds us ultimately taking the kindom by force.