READ: MATTHEW 18:12-14; 25:34-40

Have you ever known a really good pastor? Someone who takes the time to get to know the people of their church, teach them, counsel them, and lend a hand when things go wrong. Someone who goes above and beyond with their wisdom and loving service. Someone who, while they still have their flaws, really makes a difference in other people’s lives.

I’ve always wondered why some pastors can be really excellent leaders and still only have a very small church. For years my grandmother went to a church with only three other people. I found their pastor to be incredibly wise, yet he had a surprisingly small congregation. That didn’t make sense to me. Why would God allow such a gifted and influential speaker to only have an impact on a small number of people?

But then I realized, since God cares for each of us individually, God values this pastor’s work of ministering to a small number just as much as He values the work of pastors who minister to churches filled with thousands of people. My grandmother loves Jesus, but she lived in a very isolated area where most people had no interest in learning or teaching from the Bible, yet this one pastor devoted a lot of time and effort to strengthen and encourage her. And that’s something God has called all of us to do.

Maybe you’ve been trying to share Jesus’s love with someone, and you’ve felt like it’s going nowhere. Or perhaps you have a small number of people you’re ministering to, and you wonder why that number hasn’t grown. But even if you’re only able to reach one person, that one person means the world to God. And even the smallest differences you make can have a tremendous impact. Remember, God cares for the one. God cares for you. • Christina Cheng

• Have you ever felt like what you’re doing isn’t making a difference, or like you’re wasting your talents on something small? God sees everything you do, and when you give of yourself to one person, that means as much to Him as if you had taken care of a hundred.

• Have you ever felt like your life wasn’t worth investing in? God doesn’t think so! When Jesus came to die on the cross for your sins, He proved how precious your life is to Him. Even after we trust Jesus as our Savior, He is continuously interested in guiding our hearts and drawing us into deeper relationship with Himself.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 (NIV)