The Power of One

We often underestimate the number one—too small to matter, too little to make an impact. One grain of rice or one drop of milk won’t feed anyone. But change the scale—one bag of rice, one gallon of milk—and suddenly, “one” becomes powerful.

God never underestimates one. In fact, He often uses the principle of the seed. When God created humanity, He started with just one man and one woman, yet within them was the power to populate the earth. God sees the power in one because, as the designer of all things, He knows He put the potential to multiply in each thing.

From One Seed to Abundance

Let's start with one simple seed. One seed from an apple has the potential to produce an entire orchard. Once the seed is planted, it produces one apple tree with many apples, each with many seeds. If you plant each seed from each apple, you can eventually fill the entire earth with apple trees and apples. Do you see what I mean?

All from one tiny apple seed. That’s the God given potential.

An apple orchard

Your Potential Is Unlocked Through Obedience

This potential, however, needs certain instructions to be followed before producing what it has within it.

For the apple seed, it needs to be planted in fertile soil and not the ocean.

As God is the one who dispenses potential, it makes sense that He is the one who knows how to unlock those potentials. It is He who has the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to do this. This means obedience to the instructions given by God is what opens a person up to the possibility of fulfilling their potential.

Obedience is the soil that releases potential. Without it, the seed remains just that—a seed.

Obedience That Changed the World

Noah built an ark, a vessel that had never been built before, in preparation for a weather disaster that had never been seen before and, therefore, saved mankind. Imagine if he didn't obey? The flood was set to happen at a specific time, which was after Methuselah's death. Methuselah means when he is dead, it shall come. What would have happened if Noah didn’t follow instructions? Would all mankind be gone? Would God have chosen another person to preserve man?

Imagine if Abraham had not obeyed and left all that he knew to follow God to a land that he didn't know? So much of our Christian faith is connected to Abraham's obedience that I cannot even begin to go down that rabbit hole!

Imagine if Joseph hadn't interpreted the dreams of the baker and cupbearer? His instruction was to manage the prison and prisoners (even though he was a prisoner himself). This could have led to the death of eleven tribes of Israel.

Imagine if Esther had not obeyed? Her people- God's people, would have been killed!

Imagine if the disciples of Jesus hadn't obeyed the Great Commission? Because of them, we have life.

Now, for the furthest stretch of your imagination, what if Jesus did not obey? We know, in the garden of Gethsemane, He struggled with this. Where would we be? Back under the law? Killing lambs and bulls to atone for our many sins? Actually, we would just be lost because the law was for the Jews (see Eph 2 vs11-12). Don’t go there right now, because it is too depressing to think about! We rejoice that Jesus finished His assignment, and we are now set free unto a relationship with God.

These are just a few of the people who obeyed God's instructions. Do you see that each person following God and fulfilling their potential opened the door to others fulfilling theirs?

Without Noah's obedience, the ripple effect of downstream 'obediences' may not have happened, just like if an apple seed is not planted in the right soil, it cannot produce more apples with seeds that can produce more apple trees with apples and seeds.

Ripple Effect

Disobedience Has a Ripple Effect Too

We have seen the result of one person's obedience and imagined the effect of their disobedience. Their obedience generally led to great and mighty things happening that changed the lives and stories of billions of people. In the same way, one man being used by the devil can affect billions of people as well. I am talking about evil dictators, mass murderers, Hitler. All they did was obey the devil and corrupted the potential placed in them by God.

For Hitler to lead people to hate a whole race and commit the atrocities they did, he must have had the potential to be a great leader. This is a man who did horrible things that destroyed many lives. What about those who did not do horrible things but did not follow God's instructions?

An example that always hurts my heart each time I remember it is how Mahatma Gandhi DIDN'T become a Christian because of Christians. This man came to church seeking to know the Jesus he read about, but the ushers obeyed societal laws instead of God's instruction to know no man after the flesh. They did not let him in, and Gandhi turned away from seeking Jesus. This same Gandhi went ahead to lead a revolution, garnering the support of millions of followers. Imagine if he were for Christ?

What About You?

I charge you today, what is that instruction God has placed in your heart?

Can you obey it?

Will you?

Do you see yourself as just one?

You don’t yet know the full potential within you—but God does. He’s the one who placed it there, and He alone knows how to unlock it. All He asks is your obedience. Your “yes” could open the door not just for your own breakthrough, but for generations to come.

Don’t underestimate the power of one.

Especially when that “one” is you—led by God.

Remember, you do not know what is beyond your obedience, so follow the leading of the one who does.

I love you,

Oyin.