AN AFRICAN PASTOR.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living and holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
An African pastor was overwhelmed by rebels who demanded that he renounce his faith. He refused. The night before they took his
life, he wrote the following lines on a scrap of paper:
I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." I have Holy
Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won't look
back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is
redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am
finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning,
smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions,
plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops,
recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and
labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is
narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought , compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity,
negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of
popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached
up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of
Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I
drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.
And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems
recognizing me. My colors will be clear.
Lord, develop in me the perseverance and faithfulness to pursue
Your goal for my life even in the face of rejection.