Discover How to Infuse Power and Purpose into Your Writing When You Write for the One

by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

Let’s be honest. Who wants to write a book, short story, article, devotion, or blog post for just one person to read? And, yes, I’ve heard the reminder repeated in various forms on more than one occasion: “What you write may only be for the person sitting beside you.” 

Pride makes that a challenging pill to swallow. I love it when thousands visit my website, but chafe when it dwindles to only a few. 

For example, take Edward Kimball. Few have ever heard of him. In fact, he was only a Sunday school teacher teaching a room full of hyper boys. But he also wanted to see them enter a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, so he made that his mission by praying for them regularly. 

One of those young boys didn’t seem to understand the gospel, so Kimball went to the store where the young man worked, stocking shelves. He spoke with him in the stock room, telling him how important it was to follow Jesus. The young man, Dwight L. Moody, accepted Christ. 

Later, Moody became a great evangelist, preaching to thousands and seeing many come to follow Christ. One young man who made that decision was Wilbur Chapman. Not as well-known a name as D. L. Moody, he also became an evangelist who preached to thousands.

One day, a professional ball player had a Sunday off and decided to go hear Chapman preach. After hearing the message of salvation, he gave his life to Christ. His name was Billy Sunday, and he later became well-known for his evangelistic crusades. Under his preaching, a young man named Mordecai Ham decided to follow Christ and began preaching. 

On one such preaching trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, Ham preached to a young man in the audience who vowed that he would not listen to Ham preach. But he eventually changed his mind and went. He accepted Christ as his Savior when he heard about what God had done through Christ. The world might not know Billy Frank, but they sure know Billy Graham. The power of the one. (https://www.travisagnew.org/2013/07/22/the-chain-of-events-for-billy-grahams-conversion)

When I was a preacher boy in college, most preacher boys in training had dreams of grandeur. We would be the next Billy Graham. New and seasoned writers often have these same grandiose dreams: dreams that their writing, fiction or nonfiction, will make the bestseller lists, dreams that their book will win the Pulitzer Prize, dreams that their devotions and articles will be read by millions. 

Of course, most of us never see that happen—me included—but we do influence someone. Jesus reminds us of this in his story of the Good Samaritan. It may have been just that, a story, but it had deep historical roots and meanings. 

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him” (Luke 10:33 NLT).

Bad blood existed between Jews and Samaritans. For a Samaritan to help a Jew and for two Jews to pass by a fellow Jew because they were too busy was the utmost of insults. Had this been a true-to-life experience—and it could have been—we would never know the impact the one he helped might have had on others. Possibly, racial and cultural barriers would have tumbled. 

Above everyone else, we must write for the One. Then, we must trust him to direct our work to the ones he knows need to read what we have written. This may only be one person, but most of the time, it entails many more. However, we influence each one, one by one. 

God continually places “ones” in our lives. When we let go of pride and let God do what only God can do through our writing, we never know the power of the one we influence. 

Ask God to help you write humbly for the “ones” he puts in your path. Never underestimate what God can do through that one.

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Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at mandmwiles@gmail.com.