A Teenager Devoted to Christ

July 1

This past week I started reading one of the books that had been sitting on my shelf for too long: The Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot. Two chapters in, I can already tell this is going to be an unforgettable read. Not only is Elisabeth a fabulous writer, but the biography of her husband, Jim Elliot, makes for an astounding story and impactful message.

Today I want to share what I’ve learned so far from the life of Jim Elliot, specifically in the way he lived as a teenager. It was a lifestyle radically set apart because it was a lifestyle informed completely by Jesus Christ.

One example of Jim’s eternal mindset and spiritual discipline as a young man is exemplified here:

Jim set his alarm every night to waken him in time for prayer and study of the Bible. “None of it gets to be ‘old stuff,’” he wrote, “for it is Christ in print, the Living Word. We wouldn’t think of rising in the morning without a face-wash, but we often neglect the purgative cleansing of the Word of the Lord. It wakes us up to our responsibility.”[i]

Jim Elliot’s devotion and willingness to be used by the Lord as a young person reminds me of God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah in one of my favorite Scripture passages:

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 1:7-8)

Have an amazing rest of your Sunday.

Your sister and friend,

Bethany J.

[i]  Elisabeth Elliot, The Shadow of the Almighty (New York: Harper, 1958), 39