Call To D.I.E.

The call to die daily seems drastic, dreadful, and unreal but when the cause and reasons are far greater it does seem well worth it. Jim Elliot who died as a martyr when attempting to contact the Haorani tribe in 1956, recorded the following quote less than 7 years earlier, in 1949. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” He very well knew the joy set before him was far greater than his mortal life, which was not his to keep, anyway. Two years after Jim’s death, his widow Elizabeth Elliot went back to serve among the people who had killed her husband. Their exemplary service and ministry have not only transformed lives in Ecuador but have inspired many around the world to serve Christ wholeheartedly, often in difficult and life-threatening places.

Some of the greatest privileges and freedoms we enjoy are primarily because of courageous martyrs like Jim. They took radical steps knowing God’s heart of love for the world and all people. Their concern was to please Him knowing God’s heart, and they took bold steps in faith to fulfill His heart’s desire. I doubt they belabored the question “What is God’s will for ‘my’ life”? Their focus was God's will, period. Their life was secondary, or it did not matter at all. Their life was Christ!

If we are eager to serve as disciple-makers, we cannot circumvent the need to be disciples ourselves. Knowing Christ and experiencing the magnitude of his love is the key to sustaining ourselves or bearing fruit that would last. Times of renewal should be incorporated in a balanced manner so we can persevere in this arduous journey.