Echo from the Past

Recently I have been reading about the life of a Scotsman who was a missionary to the people of Mongolia in the latter half of the 19th century. James Gilmour left a great contribution to missions and missionaries, specially those bound for Mongolia, in his personal letters, diaries, and reports. I find in him common sentiments regarding the call to Mongolia. I share with you an excerpt of his work that has wrought great impact in my heart; if read these words will prove, I have little doubt, to be an encouragement and help to you.

"I have been thinking lately over some of the inducements we have to live for Christ, and to confess Him and preach Him before men, not conferring with flesh and blood. Why should we be trammelled by the opinions and customs of men? Why should we care what men say of us? Salvation and damnation are realities, Christ is a reality, Eternity is a reality, and we shall soon be there in reality. and time shall soon be finished; and from our stand in eternity we shall look back on what we did in time, and what shall we think of it? Shall we be able to understand why we were afraid to speak to this man or this woman about salvation? Shall we be able to understand how we were ashamed to do what we knew to be a Christian duty before one whom we knew to be a mocker at religion? Our cowardice shall seem small to us then. Let us now measure our actions by the standards of that scene, let us now look upon things of time in the light of eternity, and we shall see them better as they are, and live more as we shall wish then we had done. It is not too late. We can secure yet what remains of our life...It may be we cannot be great, let us be good...Let us live lives as in the presence of Christ, anxious for His approval, and glad to take the condemnation of the world, and of Christ's professed servants even, if we get the commendation of ... our faithful Master. The "Well done!" is to the faithful servant, to the faithful, not the great. Let us watch and pray that we may be faithful. It is a little hard to be this, and to care little for man."