By Pastor Brandon Young
As a school counselor, I recently attended a conference at Milligan College. The conference was about adverse childhood experiences, and the effects they have on children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. They may also include household dysfunction such as witnessing domestic violence or growing up with family members who have substance use disorders or mental illnesses. ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan, including those associated with substance misuse. Here is one main thing I took away from this conference: A stable, nurturing relationship with a caring adult can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences. In other words, one person that shows love and provides a caring and stable environment for a child can reverse these terrible effects. This is powerful because it demonstrates the power one person can make on another. I began to ponder how single individuals in the Bible changed another’s life, and I would like to share those examples.
God can use you if you will let Him. Helen Keller said, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” The professor presenting the material at Milligan mentioned the following passage of scripture about the life of Joseph. Genesis 37:12-28, 12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
The Bible states that a certain man who is unnamed in the passage sees Joseph wandering in the field, and then the man points Joseph in the direction of his brothers. His brothers end up selling him into slavery, and God’s plan to make him the prince of Egypt is set into motion. One man pointed Joseph in the right direction, and the Bible sees a need to mention this man in the scripture. How many people do we see wandering aimlessly around, and they need someone to take the time to point them in the right direction. One person can make all the difference. One unnamed little girl helped to heal Naaman, a world military leader. Naaman’s wife had a maid from the land of Israel. This maid knew the power of Elisha because she had heard and witnessed it back in Israel. This young maid tells Naaman’s wife that if only Naaman could get to Elisha that he would recover from the leprosy. Naaman ends up seeking the help of Elisha and is cured completely. This happened all because one person felt the need to help another.
It is all about choosing to help! The parable of the Good Samaritan is another example of two religious men that chose to pass up a man that had been robbed, beaten, and left to die, and the salvation that came from one unnamed good Samaritan that chose to stop and help. He cleaned the man’s wounds, poured oil in them for healing, and took him to an inn on his own donkey. He paid the inn keeper and told him that he would pay him more once he returned. The good Samaritan saved a man’s life, and Jesus called him a neighbor, and then commands us to go do likewise. We must choose to help others. One unnamed little boy helped to feed five thousand men not including the women and the children all because he was willing to open his lunch and give his five loaves and two small fish to Jesus to bless and distribute. He had the courage to give away his lunch for the good of others. Andrew Jackson said, “One man with courage makes a majority.” I find it interesting that these individuals all remain unnamed in the scriptures. Who we are is not important, but who HE is, is of utmost importance. Pointing individuals to Jesus Christ by our faith, actions, deed, and words is what it is all about.
On a gloomy day in 1857, a man in New York City by the name of Jeremiah Lanthier scanned the morning newspaper as he rode to his office. He was distressed to read that the depression gripping the nation was causing fear and panic among the people. Factories were stopping production and thousands were unemployed. Although Lanthier was not a big industrialist (but only a clerk), he had one important distinction. He was a man who had great faith in God!
Concerned with the grim economic situation, he sent a note to all his business acquaintances, telling them that each day at noon a prayer meeting would be held in his office. With high hopes, he arranged 20 chairs in a circle, but the first day no one came. All alone, he prayed fervently that God would bring about a great change in him and in America. The second day he was encouraged, for a few friends joined him. A short time later, a similar gathering was started on Wall Street, another on Williams Street, and finally a fourth on Broadway. Then like wildfire, the movement spread to all parts of the country. The moral tone of the nation was affected, and there was a great increase in the spiritual life of the people. Some historians say that this effort of united prayer and faith was an integral part of the improvement in the economy which soon followed, and as believers, we know this to be the case. Prayer changes circumstances! One man or woman willing to pray and believe can move mountains.
One Savior made a way for us all. Listen to what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 5:12-21, “12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus Christ made all the difference when he took upon himself the sins of the entire world past, present, and future. Because of the sin of Adam, we were all made sinners, but thankfully through the work of the cross of Calvary, those that believe were all made righteous through Jesus. The obedience of Christ saved us all! One makes all the difference. I would like to inspire each of you to go out, have compassion, and make a difference in the lives of those around you!
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Hunter Greene)