If you are waiting for the crowd to approve, consider this…

Crowds have a strange power over us.They can motivate us to perform—or quietly paralyze us into doing nothing.Sometimes it’s not even a real crowd. It’s the imagined response.What will they think?What if they misunderstand?What if this costs me something?

In Mark 5, Jesus steps off a boat and is immediately met by one man—broken, isolated, uncontrollable, living among tombs. Chains hadn’t worked. Fear hadn’t worked. Distance hadn’t worked. Everyone else had given up and learned how to live around his pain.

Jesus didn’t.

And here’s what matters: Jesus did not cast out the demons to impress the crowd. In fact, the crowd would later beg Him to leave. There was no applause waiting. No public affirmation. Just one man in desperate need of mercy.

That’s the problem we face.We often measure obedience by reaction.We decide whether to act based on how people might respond—positively or negatively. Approval pushes us forward. Disapproval shuts us down. And slowly, faith becomes performative instead of faithful.

But Scripture shows us something better.Jesus restores the man completely—clothed, calm, and in his right mind. The crowd is afraid. The miracle makes them uncomfortable. Yet the mission is already complete.

And then comes the beautiful consequence.The man Jesus healed becomes a messenger. Sent home, he tells what the Lord has done for him. And an entire region hears about Jesus—not because Jesus chased the crowd, but because He cared for one person.

That’s how Scripture solves the problem.Faithfulness to one often becomes fruit for many.

So here’s the encouragement:Stop asking how everyone will respond.Start asking who is right in front of you.

Do the good you can do. Be faithful where you are. Leave the results with God.The Kingdom moves forward when obedience outweighs opinion—and joy follows close behind.