1+1: Gain what you can’t lose + Find your greater purpose

Here's one leadership idea and one resource I’ve found beneficial in the past two weeks:

1 idea: Gain what you can’t lose 

Jim Elliot had all the potential in the world. Born in 1927, young Jim was such a talented thespian and public speaker that many expected him to become a famous actor. But Elliot felt drawn to something more meaningful—and more risky. Sensing a call to global missions, Elliot journeyed to Ecuador to share his faith with a tribe known to violently oppose outsiders. Sure enough, on one of his first encounters with the people group, Elliot and his four companions were murdered. He was just months away from turning 30.

Years later, an American and some Ecuadorians were leading a group of college students to meet that same tribe. As they made camp for the night, the students began asking questions, wanting to know when they would meet the “savage” tribe. To their shock, they were told that their guides were actually from that tribe.

One of the women pointed to a man sitting on the other side of the campfire and said, “That man murdered my father.” The students’ eyes widened at the revelation. As they scanned the dimly lit campsite to assess the threats all around them, another woman spoke up. “This man sitting next to me is my husband. He forced me to marry him after her murdered my entire family.”

A sinking feeling came across the group. Here they were trapped in the jungle with those same terrible savages they had heard all about. They couldn’t find their way out of Ecuador on their own; the end seemed near.

But then the American guide said something that changed everything. He put his arm around one of the men and said, “This man also killed my father.” His father, Nate Saint, was one of the five missionaries murdered all those years ago. The students were speechless. Then, the natives went on to tell their story.

For generations, they had been a violent tribe. Babies were discarded if they became inconvenient. Children were killed in order to be buried with their parents. Murder was so common that the tribe almost died out because of violent infighting.

But then a group of Christians visited and told them about a man named Jesus. Naturally, they killed them. But then more missionaries came, and eventually, they listened to those people. The story they told about the world captivated their hearts and changed their habits. Now, they had become a people of peace. They, too, were committed Christians.

In a journal before his fateful trip to Ecuador, Elliot wrote his most famous words: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” For Elliot, the chance at an eternal impact far outweighed any temporal fame or fortune he could accrue. To many outsiders, his gamble appeared to be a frivolous waste of potential. But if Elliot was right, the sacrifice of his life would save the lives of countless more in the years to come. He knew he was going to die at one point or another—but this way, he knew his life and eventual death would at least count for something.

You might not agree with Elliot’s faith, and you may see his gamble as unwise. But there’s a reason we’re inspired by selfless stories like Jim Elliot’s. We all long to give ourselves to a cause beyond ourselves—to leave a mark on history for the better.

• We want to raise kids and grandkids who are better off than we were.

• We want to invest in organizations that will do meaningful work long after we’re gone.

• We want to be remembered as someone who had a positive impact on others.

As you contemplate what that greater purpose is for you, follow the wisdom of Jim Elliot. Choose to give up what you cannot keep—your money, your time, and your life—to gain something far, far better.

***

• What fleeting resources do you find yourself clinging tightly to?

• What’s something you “cannot lose” that would be worth sacrificing for?

• How could you start trading some of those finite resources for those that will outlive you?

1 resource: Find your greater purpose

When I was completing the research for my book Humbler Leadership, I learned that humble leaders give themselves to a cause beyond themselves. In fact, a greater purpose is one of the four key traits of all humble leaders. If you’d like to know more about how to discern your greater purpose, check out Humbler Leadership here.

PS: Don’t count out the goofy hat!