In 1839 John Williams and James Harris, two missionaries from the London Missionary Society, landed on the New Hebrides Islands (now Vanuatu) in the South Pacific Ocean. Within minutes of being ashore they were killed by the native people and eaten by them—all in front of the ship that had just dropped them off. When the news spread of the cannibalistic tribes that inhabited the islands, most people were crippled by fear. But there were a few that were fueled to see the New Hebrides claimed for Christ.
I recently read the autobiography of John G. Paton. Paton was one of the few.
I don’t want to overstate it for the sake of rhetoric, but his story is seriously making me rethink my story. I’m convicted by his faith, his walk with God, his sacrifice, his devotion, and his abandonment of self. I’m convicted because his story makes sense when I read the Bible; specifically when I read about Paul and the other apostles and their commitment to the Gospel’s advancement. They all had the same ambition: to live solely for Christ.
Reading Paton’s story made me think about my own commitment to Christ. Don’t get me wrong, I try to live for Him exclusively. But I also spend quite a bit of time living for myself. What about your life? Does it align with what we see in the New Testament? Or is there a disconnect?
What’s missing in my life
When Paton was raising funds and preparing to depart for the New Hebrides there were many people who tried to dissuade him from going. He recounts one conversation in his book that reveals the paradigm-shifting perspective we should all long for.
Paton writes,
“Amongst many who sought to deter me was one dear old Christian gentleman, whose crowing argument always was, ‘The Cannibals! You’ll be eaten by Cannibals!’ At last, I replied, ‘Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or worms …’”
Wow. This is the type of perspective that leads to a life lived unreservedly for Jesus. It’s this perspective that fueled Paton to give his life to the mission field. It sustained him when his wife and child died after three months of being on the islands. It preserved him when he was being hunted by cannibals. It motivated him to stay the course when his ministry was crumbling. It’s the worldview he lived in.
To the best of historians’ knowledge, there was zero Christian influence on the New Hebrides prior to Paton’s era. Now, 85% of this
The right perspective can change the world for the Gospel.
If you and I ever want to make radical, sacrificial decisions for Christ, we need to believe that nothing matters besides Christ. That is the only way we will have the courage and commitment to live a life sold out for God.
I promise we will see God move in amazing ways if we live this way. And hey, what’s the worst that could happen? Get eaten by cannibals?
Check out John G. Paton’s autobiography HERE!
