"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
This is a relatively famous quote by Jim Elliot, a martyr in Ecuador. On January 8, 1956, Jim Elliot and his four comrades, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully died at the hands of the Waorani tribe in Ecuador while trying to reach them with the gospel. The deaths of these five men opened the way for the Waorani to be reached with the gospel.
This quote sums up the reason for the untimely deaths of these martyrs. They truly realized that there is nothing for us in this world. The only things we can gain that cannot be lost are treasures in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This is a good reminder that no matter how much earthly treasures you store up, they will always be taken.
What we are called to do is to lay up treasures in heaven. This means that we should focus on eternal treasures. We should focus on doing what is right, on doing works for the glory of God.
So like Jim Elliot, we should be able to say we can give up what we cannot keep, the treasures of this world, even life, in order to lay up for ourselves eternal glory.
