Adoniram Judson was a missionary to Burma in the 1800’s. His was not an easy life following Christ. He was imprisoned and beaten horribly by the rulers of the country for no reason. He lived for 40 years in 100 plus degree heat dealing with malaria and other tropical diseases. He buried two wives and 7 children while in Burma. All to reach a group of people who were generally hostile to the Gospel.
Judson lived a truly radical life following Christ. How did he do it? How did he not run away screaming when faced with the cost of serving the Lord?
He trusted God more than he trusted himself:
A true disciple inquires not whether a fact is agreeable to his own reason, but whether it is in the book. His pride has yielded to the divine testimony. Adoniram Judson
How do we feel about this level of clarity? It is very foreign to our culture today, but is still true!
Recently, a woman in my former church was poisoned by a witch doctor and died while witnessing in Africa. I knew a young family who went to Africa in the 1980s. The wife died becuse they were too far from a hospital. He carried her for miles, but it was too late.
I like reading books about the missionaries of the 1800s. They risked everything for the love of God and people’s souls. It still goes on today.