“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”
– Jim Elliot
It took me a while to understand what this meant. I think I read it a dozen times over the course of weeks and still pondered what this truly meant. Now, I find the words of Jim Elliot absolutely beautiful. His journal entries and letters in the Shadow of the Almighty, chalk full of eloquent and sophisticated excerpts, show the true heart that he had, which was, a heart set on knowing God and making God known. I love reading books, because it allows you to peer into the author’s mind and see his outlook on the world. Jim Elliot’s outlook and purpose in life was clear. He was dead set on making Christ known and growing in a deep, intimate relationship with his God.
I have met only a handful of men, who I feel rival Jim’s passion for the Gospel. He understood his purpose here on earth and he was laser focused on making sure he didn’t fall off course. His passion, drive, and ambition for advancing God’s Kingdom is beautiful. He took time to educate himself about missions around the world, he was disciplined in learning Spanish so that he could more effectively communicate God’s love, he took time to memorize Scripture so that it was constantly on his heart and mind, and he took time all throughout the day (literally morning, lunch, and dinner) to spend time with God. I love his devotion to his faith.
And while it is a great encouragement to see men like Jim Elliot live out a faithful life, I think even Jim himself wouldn’t want the conversation to end with him. Instead, I think he would want it to focus on the Lord and to encourage and spur other believers to run closer to God, spending their free moments dwelling on the Lord and spending time in His presence.
– Hunter
P.S. Small plug for Shadow of the Almighty. Highly encourage the read.
