NOTHING BUT CHRIST

01/16/2011
“Lord, if Thou wilt but allow me to take this set-apart place, by Thy grace, I shall covet no inheritance. NOTHING BUT CHRIST.”

These are words from Jim Elliot’s journal during his sophmore year at Wheaton College, at the age of 20 years old. Eight years later he would pay the ultimate price to spread the gospel to the Auca Indians in Ecuado. The last several days I have been reading his biography, “Shadow of the Almighty,” written by his wife Elisabeth. I think the story of Jim’s life is helping me to understand better what it means to be a ‘living sacrifice’. Jim writes a few pages later on:
“No one warns young people to follow Adam’s example. He waited till God saw his need. Then God made Adam sleep, prepared for his mate, and brought her to him. We need more of this ‘being asleep’ in the will of God. Then we can receive what He brings us in His own time, if at all. Instead we are set as bloodhounds after a partner, considering everyone we see until our minds are so concerned with the sex problem that we can talk of nothing else when bull-session time comes around. It is true that a fellow cannot ignore women – but he can think of them as he ought – as sisters, not as sparring partners!”
Jim later writes about how he has “committed” Betty to God much as Abraham did his son, Isaac. He compares her to one of the “devoted things” of Jericho in Joshua 6, though not meant for destruction but for God, as a burnt living sacrifice. He says that the subtle danger in doing this is in “retaining hopes that He would give her to me eventually….But this was as if I had never ‘devoted’ her at all, for there was still a future claim on her….Ah, how like again – hidden in the tent in secret were those secret longings for something I may not have, gloated over in lonely moments. But the Cross is final. There is no turning back now, nor halfway stopping place. I must go on, asleep until God sees my need of Eve – if such a need ever arises. Fix my heart wholly, Lord, to follow Thee, in no detail to touch what is not mine.”
God has chosen this passage of his journal to speak to me personally. Not only in concern to marriage specifically (though it does apply), but as a rule in general. I have to take all of my hopes, all that is precious to me, and cast them into the raging, consuming fire of God’s will. Just as Abraham did not consider his Son to precious as to keep him from obedience to God, so must I also offer myself as a living sacrifice to God, relinquishing all I hold dear to Him. These things must become ‘devoted’ things unto God, not devoted for destruction but for obedience. To continue hoping for them shall be the same as not devoting them at all.
I think it might be impossible to cast away one’s hopes and dreams, never again to secretly wish for them. That is, unless one’s vision is directed solely on Christ. In light of Christ everything else seems to fade away into obscurity. When Christ is the sole focus and passion of my heart, only then will everything else fall into it’s rightful place in my life as well. I can then present my requests to God as a sacrifice, and sleep in peace knowing that he will meet my needs according to His perfect will.

(On a different note – I’m going to the rock quarry again tonight with everyone! I’m really excited to do this again with the group. Though my heart and prayers are with Heidi and Beckie, who are up North due to take care of Beckie’s needs, and also with Kati who is still in Burkina Faso. I miss you girls!)