It should not be too much for even the casual observer of North American church life to deduce that we are living in and through a generation satisfied by “Convenient Christianity.” Most of the Church is content to be as little engaged in the Great Commission as possible, “Please don't ask me to do too much. I just want to come to church, see my friends, sing some songs, hear a message that doesn't ask too much of me, give a little money, pray a little, go home and do it all over again next Sunday.”

Recently, I read an article by Elizabeth Elliot describing her passionate pursuit of Jesus and the radical desire that she and her husband, Jim, had to fulfill the Great Commission. She reflected on their trips to college campuses before they went to the mission field. They were trying to stir up the young people to join with them and go to the nations. They talked about their mission heroes, like Amy Carmichael and others, that had this radical passion to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth. And yes, it included the acknowledgement that it might mean giving up one's life for Christ, filling up the sufferings of Christ, knowing the fellowship of His suffering. Of course, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and others gave their lives for Jesus in Ecuador .

I sat for quite a while and thought about some of the young people on the mission field with HGM. I thought about their radical commitment . . . in that same mind and devotion of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot. I thought about the glorious good news that they are still coming. I have seen them at the World Pioneer Conferences. They come to Beautiful Feet Boot Camps in the US and Mexico . I see their passion, out to take the world from Satan and win it for Christ's Kingdom. They are coming.

At what price? Well, it will include some suffering, some loss, and yes, a lot of passion. I think of the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” He was talking about his personal, passionate pursuit of Jesus. But then later he said, “Join in following my example.”

Will you follow his example? I want to know Jesus more and more and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. That is the passionate pursuit. And growing out of that will be passion for souls, those now lost without even an idea how to be found. Christ pursues them; He loves them. He is not willing that any should perish. If we are Christ's, how can we say we love Him if we don't love what He loves?

The words of Jim Elliot still ring clearly the essence of passion, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

What will you give? You may think you can't afford to give it up, but you must know that you can't keep it forever anyway. Wouldn't you like to give your life for something that you cannot lose, an eternal investment? Then give it away for Jesus!