Mighty in Spirit

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

Jim Elliot was a bright, articulate young man who left his home in the United States for the jungles of South America. In his mid-twenties he was killed by Indian spears, leaving behind his wife, Elisabeth, and a daughter. Elisabeth used her deceased husband’s diary as the source for her stirring book, The Shadow of the Almighty. Thousands have testified to the book’s influence in motivating them for mission service.

By secular values, her husband accomplished little, dying young in a remote forest. But in God’s eyes he was successful. He was one “mighty in spirit,” allowing the Holy Spirit to direct, guide, and energize his life. People who are mighty in spirit can build enduring, rewarding lives whether they live in a high rise or in the slums, whether they earn little or much money, whether they are known by few or many.

God’s presence and reign in a man’s life give him eternal significance. He can enjoy the gracious blessings which God gives without partiality to His children (James 1:5). Wherever you are - even if it is in the remote reaches of a tropical forest like Jim Elliot - you can impact your world by being mighty in spirit.

“He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” -Jim Elliot