Saving Our Life

“Whoever seeks to preserve his life, will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” Luke 17:33

When I read this verse I am reminded of Jim Elliot who wrote this in one of his notebooks, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose". Jim was one of 5 missionaries who were speared to death in their attempt to evangelize the Auca Indians in the jungles of Ecuador. For weeks they had been circling the tribe from their plane, speaking through a megaphone and offering gifts by lowering a basket. Eventually the Indians started giving them gifts as well, a live parrot, a cooked monkey leg, a half eaten banana, which they would also put in the basket. 

Jim and his companions were well aware that the Auca tribe was violent and dangerous, "Auca" being the Quechua word for "savage". Their primary aim in Ecuador was to evangelize the Quechua Indians but when they heard about the unreached Auca, they wanted to try and evangelize them too. Jim believed that his work for Jesus was more important than his life or his family. He had a wife, Elisabeth and a daughter Valerie. After Jim's death, Elisabeth continued his work with the Quechua Indians and eventually was able to witness some of those who killed Jim and his 4 other companions come to Christ. 

We will all lose our life one day. What do we spend our days and weeks and years doing? Do we give our time for what has eternal value?