A Chance to Die

I don't know who I love more...Amy Carmichael or Elisabeth Elliot. I guess, in fairness, I should say Elisabeth Elliot since it was she who introduced me to Amy Carmichael...but I love Amy so dearly...if I didn't have a thing about nickname sounding names...I'd name my first daughter Amy. I might still...if the Lord does a work on my heart.

One of my favorite books is called "A Chance to Die." It is Elisabeth Elliot's biography of Amy Carmichael and it is absolutely wonderful. I have read it 2 or 3 times in the past year and can't get enough. Many times I'd be so "pummelled" by what I read I had to stop and just sob and pray. I mean that in a good way...in the being undone before the Lord sort of way.

Read it...read it.

Anyway...the e-mail devotion I got this morning is what set me off on this and I wanted to pass it on. So...here it is:

A Chance to Die
To be transformed into the image of Christ I must learn his character, love his obedience to the will of the Father, and begin, step by step, to walk the same pathway. For Christ the pathway of obedience began with emptying Himself. I must begin at the same place.

He "made Himself nothing." (Phil 2:7 NEB)

"You must arm yourselves with a temper of mind like His." (l Pt 4:1 NEB)

"If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind." (Mt 16:24 NEB)

What does this mean? Is it mere words? How can one leave self behind, make himself nothing? The answer will not come in a vacuum. If a man or woman honestly wishes to be a follower, the opportunity will present itself. Christ will say, "Here is your chance. Now, in this situation, you must make your choice. Will it be self? Or will you choose Me?"

An older missionary said something to Amy Carmichael when she was a young missionary that stayed with her for life. She had spoken of something which was not to her liking. His reply was, "See in it a chance to die."