Saturated by the Spirit

While a student at Wheaton College, Jim Elliot became hungry to seek the things of God and be consumed by His Spirit. As he read the first chapter of Hebrews, he asked himself how committed he really was to the Gospel. He wrote, “Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of ‘other things.’ Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame.”

Grappling for direction, Elliot dedicated his life to serve the Lord. After a time of intense prayer, he sensed God’s call to South America. He was drawn to a specific tribe, the Aucas, who had never heard the Gospel. Elliot knew that reaching them would involve risk, but he wrote in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

In January 1956, Elliot and four companions landed near the Aucas, on a beach of the Curaray River in eastern Ecuador. Their arrival triggered a violent reaction, and on this date in 1956, all five missionaries were killed by Auca warriors.

But the impact of Elliot’s life did not end on that beach. A Life magazine story about his sacrifice inspired many to commit their lives to Christian service. Elliot’s wife, Elisabeth, demonstrated that she, too, had an intense zeal for the Gospel. She wrote Shadow of the Almighty, a book about Jim’s life. She even returned to those same Auca Indians, and, this time, many accepted Christ as Savior.

Jim Elliot continues to inspire us today. God looks for people with the same commitment, saturated by the Holy Spirit and willing to lay everything else aside to serve the Lord. Today, ask God to ignite your spirit and give you fresh zeal for the Gospel. Be inspired by Jim Elliot’s passion to reach lost Souls.