John 12:23-27 (25)
David Augsburger writes in Sticking My Neck Out that when James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the captain of the ship sought to turn him back. \”You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages,\” he cried. Calvert only replied, \”We died before we came here.\” (p. 154)
The paradox is that we must go down before we can go up. We must surrender before we can serve. If you would serve Jesus you must follow Him. His way led to a cross.
This type of commitment brought great men of God to express their heart desire:
Evangelist George Whitefield said, \”O Lord, give me souls, or take my soul.\”
Missionary Henry Martyn cried, \”Here let me burn out for God.\”
Missionary David Brainerd declared, \”Lord, to Thee I dedicate myself. Oh, accept of me be Thine forever. Lord, I desire nothing else; I desire nothing more.\”
Evangelist Dwight L. Moody implored, \”Use me, then, my Savior, for whatever purpose and in whatever way Thou mayest require. Here is my poor heart, an empty vessel; fill it with Thy Grace.\”
Reformer Martin Luther prayed, \”Do Thou, my God, stand by me against all the world\’s wisdom and reason. Oh, do it! Thou must do it. Stand by me, Thou true, eternal God!\”
Missionary \”Praying Hyde\” pleaded, \”Father, give me these souls, or I die.\”