(Matthew 28:20) “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

His body is buried at Westminster Abbey, but his heart (literally) remains in Africa. When Robert Livingston, the missionary doctor, died, the Africans removed his heart and buried it in the land he loved. Just prior to his death, he had obviously been in prayer with his Bible opened to Matthew 28. Beside verse 20 he had made a notation, “The Word of a Gentleman.”

Certainly Livingston could easily have lived comfortably in his native Scotland. What then had kept him in Africa? His arm was paralyzed from a lion’s attack, he’d suffered 27 bouts with jungle fever, and he was exhausted from battling slave traders. Earlier, while addressing the University of Glasgow, Livingston had said, “What sustained me amidst the trials, hardships and loneliness of my exiled life, was the promise of a gentleman of the most sacred honor: it was this promise, ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ People talk about the sacrifice I’ve made. But can it be called a sacrifice when it’s simply paying back a small part of the great debt I owe to God? A payment, that brings peace of mind and the hope of a glorious destiny? It is emphatically no sacrifice, it is a privelege!”

As a man wept openly at his funeral, a friend asked if he’d known Livingston personally. He replied, “I weep not for Livingston, but for myself. He lived and died for something, I have lived for nothing.” Livingston’s motto was, “I place no value on anything I have, except in its relationship to the Kingdom of God.” Can we say that?

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April

Carefully reading Genesis 24 brings our attention to the frequent use of the word “success” (used five times in the chapter). Unlike the kind of success the world values, this success indicates God’s favor on His servants as He enables them to fulfill His will and purpose.

In this story, God had already promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations and that an everlasting covenant would be established through Isaac, Abraham’s promised son. Logically, Abraham was very concerned about the choice of Isaac’s bride. Therefore, he sent his most trusted servant, Eleazar, on a mission to find a suitable bride. We know the amazing circumstances that led to Eleazar’s return with Rebekah. God blessed Eleazar with a “successful” mission. (God will also help us finish our course or mission.)

Eleazar had a “driving” cause. Truthfully, we must also have something to motivate us and bring focus to our lives as well. However, we not only need to determine if we have such a cause but also whether the cause is the right kind.

a. We need to be aware of unclear goals.

If we do not know where we are going, then it does not matter if the alarm clock goes off on time or not. Without a definite cause, we are like a ship without a rudder or a compass on a dark night. (We should ask ourselves, “Do I have goals that are specific enough to write down? What am I trying to accomplish?”)

b. We need to be aware of unworthy goals.

We can be rich, famous, and notorious . . . and still not be successful. We can have power . . . and still not be successful. In fact, one definition of failure is “succeeding at the wrong things.” When we try to be successful without God in our life, we will fail miserably or “succeed more miserably.” (We should also ask ourselves, “Do I have any worthy, God-given goals? Do the things that move me also move God and create enough motivation for me to say with Paul, “This one thing I do”? Can I honestly ask God to bless my causes and give me success?)

c. We need to be aware of unbalanced goals.

Just as our two legs aid our balance, we also need to have specific goals for every area of life that reflect a commitment to God-honoring balance. (Questions worth asking include: “If I accomplish my goals, where will I be, and what will I have? Are the things for which I am living worth the high price of the death of Jesus?”)

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