Many Christians have succumbed to the false notion that their witness to one individual doesn’t count for much. But that certainly isn’t supported by what we read in the Gospels. Even though Jesus’ public ministry was limited to a little more than 3 years, He was never “too big” to deal with one person at a time.

It’s true that Jesus preached to multitudes in Judea, fed 5,000 people gathered by the Sea of Galilee, and ministered to the crowds in Capernaum. Yet, He never lost sight of the value of one soul!

How encouraging to read of His conversation at night with an individual named Nicodemus (John 3); of His visit with one woman at the well of Samaria (John 4); and of His personal interest in one little man Zaccheus, who was sitting up in a sycamore tree (Luke 19). How thrilled he must have been when Jesus singled him out of the multitude and said, “Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (v.5).

If you are ever tempted to minimize the value of your personal, individual witness to a single soul, remember Jesus’ example. The Bible says there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents!

  — Richard De Haan