There was once a pastor who had spent a lot of time working for the Lord in a hard locale. In his annual meeting with the denomination, his superior noted that in one year, “You’ve only had one convert, and it was only a little boy.”

That really discouraged the pastor. He was really bothered by it. He wanted to do so much more; he wanted to reach the world, but all the fruit he had was this one little boy.

He was in the church praying about this, and the little boy came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. The little boy said, “Is there any way that God would want to use me as a missionary to take the Gospel to other places?”

The pastor replied, “I’m sure He would. If you pray about it, and seek God’s will, maybe God would want you to do that.”

That little boy was none other than Robert Moffat, the one who opened Africa to missions. One time, Robert was speaking in London, and a young doctor was listening to his message. The young doctor became burdened by Moffat’s statement, “I have seen in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been.”

This young doctor was so convicted and so bothered by that picture that he decided to give up his practice and become a missionary to Africa so that those villages would have the Gospel. The doctor’s name was David Livingston.

That discouraged pastor did way more than he ever thought he could do because his sphere of influence was a lot greater than he thought it would ever be. Don’t be discouraged if you think you are not doing much; do what you know to do where you are today, and you will be approved by God.