Thursday, January 08, 2009

Light These Idle Sticks of My Life...

On this day in 1956, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming were speared to death by men they loved. They went to preach the gospel to a small tribe in the jungles of Ecuador. What they accomplished inspired a 19 year old college student to abandon it all.

I have never been the same since reading Jim Elliot's story. It was not so much his death that changed my life. It was his life. He was totally devoted to Christ.



Some of my favorite Jim Elliot quotes:
“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”

“Father, let me be weak that I might loose my clutch on everything temporal. My life, my reputation, my possessions, Lord, let me loose the tension of the grasping hand.”

“I covenanted with the Father that He would do either of two things: either glorify Himself to the utmost in me or slay me. By His grace I shall not have His second best.”

“O Christ, let me know Thee--let me catch glimpses of Thyself, seated and expectant in glory, let me rest there despite all wrong surging round me. Lead me in the right path, I pray.”

“Father, take my life, yea, my blood if Thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping fire. I would not save it, for it is not mine to save. Have it Lord, have it all. Pour out my life as an oblation for that world. Blood is only of value as it flows before Thine altar.”

“God deliver me from the dread asbestos of ‘other things.’ Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame for you.”

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the quotes, Justin, and for the reminder of the life lived completly for Christ.

Trip Rodgers
Rocky Mount, NC

Brian said...

Wow! Thanks for posting this. I didn't know about this video. I will be sharing it.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic quotes Justin. Thanks for providing a Christ-centered focus to your blog posts.

Philippians 1:6

Anonymous said...

Wow, you really have put together a strong reminder of how sold-out we should be for our Lord. If we are to change the coming tide - from the open promotion of homosexuality and legal abortion, to simply holding fast to religious freedom and the right to call sin sin - we cannot rely on ourselves at all. We have no strength, none. Elliott realized where true strength lies. He gave himself wholly to God and His glory. We should, and must, do the same. May He grant us the grace to face the difficult road ahead...

www.BigBridgeACross.wordpress.com

BoldLion said...

Thank you for sharing this with us! I see that Brian had posted on his facebook!

Hungry to eat His Word!
'Guerite ~ BoldLion