94: She Gave Her All; He Gave Her More

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When my faith starts to fizzle, I spark it back to life with the faith of others. One way I do this is by reading Christian biographies. One biography that was especially formative for my faith was about Gladys Aylward and her missionary journey to China. Her story is marked by persecution and physical suffering, but woven throughout it is the thread of God’s goodness and the power of the gospel.

Burdened for those who had not heard the gospel, Gladys left the comfort of her home and family in her late twenties and headed to China. Her journey was full of unexpected challenges. At one point she became stuck in Russia, unable to travel to her final destination. As she shivered in the frigid weather, afraid she would freeze to death, she asked the Lord, “O God, is it worth it?”^a

How many times have we asked the same thing? Is this our response when trials surround us and squeeze out our hope? When each step of obedience we take is met with a new hurdle?

When we cry out to God, like Gladys, and ask, “O God, is it worth it?” he answers with the cross. If the Son of God suffered to save us and set us free, then we will know him more intimately through suffering (see Romans 8:32; Philippians 3:8-12). This was true for Gladys, and it’s true for us.

Gladys Aylward gave her life for the cause of Christ. She surrendered every earthly comfort to show that Jesus is our only eternal hope. She went without food, loved those in prison, cared for orphans, and shared about Jesus with her actions and words with every person she came into contact with.

During her tenure in Yangcheng, she helped set up and run an inn and eventually helped deliver one hundred orphans out of China during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Her faith was not always strong, but God’s strength held her through her moments of weakness.

After her prayer, Gladys was comforted by these words: “Be not afraid, remember I am the Lord.”

The riches of gaining Christ far exceed anything we might lose in this life. As Paul said, everything is loss (literally, “rubbish”^b) compared to knowing Christ (see Philippians 3:7-9). When we stand before the throne of God, we will see with unhindered vision how everything in this world is rubbish compared to the glory of knowing Jesus.

So go forward in faith as you share the gospel and follow God’s leading. As you do, remember these comforting words God gave Gladys in Russia: “Be not afraid, remember I am the Lord.”

Word before World Everything you could lose for following Jesus is worth everything you will gain in knowing him.

Grow in Grace What circumstances in your life have caused you to ask, “O God, is it worth it?” When doubts creep in, remember the sacrifices Jesus made on your behalf, and trust that he will redeem any trials you face.