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EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose … ” — Jim Elliot

I first heard this quote from my dad and Greggy has often since quoted it. I was aware of the Jim Elliot and missionaries’ story but had never heard the following piece of the story.

“Elisabeth Elliot’s husband, Jim, and four others were killed by the Aucas Indians in 1956 in Ecuador. In the pursuit of a motive for the deaths, it was discovered a teenager in the tribe had told the rest of the tribe that the missionaries were cannibals. They believed her and thus the deaths occurred. Someone asked this teenager,

‘Why did you say this if it wasn’t true?’ She giggled and commented, ‘I don’t know!’

“Later Elisabeth was asked, ‘How did you deal with that?’

“She said she just had to accept it. After this she went back to the tribe and lived there for two years, telling them about Jesus. The entire tribe came to Christ.

Whenever you have to experience unspeakable injustice, God repays you unspeakably.” — Lisa Berry as shared on KTIS Radio

Have you ever been gossiped about, told lies about, been falsely accused of something … been hurt? Gossip and lies can have huge impacts in our lives and — in the missionary’s case — such a supposedly simple “little white lie” cost them their lives. How tragic!

“Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.” — Psalm 141:3 NLT

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” — Proverbs 21:23 NKJV

“Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.” — Proverbs 26:20-21 NIV

Our challenge this week is not to be the person who gossips, lies or causes others strife in their life. It is easy to fall prey to such juicy conversations. Resist. Walk in kindness, love and truth.

Robin (Beckman) Gudal is intentional in life, a wife, a momma, a nana, a friend and a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus.