All For Christ

“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course…” Acts 20:24a (Paul).

Andrew Murray, Oswald Chambers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, Fenelon, George Will, Tyndale – my missions professor at seminary Christy Wilson…and many more women and men who have touched my life, either in “real time” or through their writings; all of them saying in their words and deeds, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself…” (I recall that the I.R.S. audited Christy Wilson, who had served in Afghanistan, because they couldn’t believe that anyone would give away such a large percentage of his income).

But what of today? Can I say with Paul, “I do not consider my life of any account…”? Where do we see examples of this in our preaching, teaching, writing, and congregational life? Where is the local congregation that embraces the Christ of the Cross and the Cross of Christ as a way of life? Where is that people who can say, “But we do not consider our lives of any account as dear to ourselves, so that we may finish our course in Jesus Christ”?

Where is the Bible College or seminary that says with Paul, “We do not consider the life of this institution of any account…”? Where is that place of godly instruction that teaches its men and women to take up their Cross to follow Jesus Christ?

Where is this in our small groups? In our mentoring? Is this a prerequisite for service in our churches and other areas of ministry?

Or…have we succumbed to the ethos of “the pampered-self”?

Search my heart Lord Jesus.

What about you?