I recently read a biography on Amy Carmichael. She was basically an awesome woman. You could probably assume that just from the title: A Chance to Die. But anyway, there was one line from that book that I feel really describes how I want to live ALL areas of my life. “I’d rather burn out than rust out.”
I want to always be active in growing in Christ, in sharing Christ, in loving Christ, in EVERYTHING. I think the key word is active. If you aren’t active, then God will find someone who is. If you sit around making excuses or thinking about all the reasons you shouldn’t do something you know God is calling you to do, you are more prone to rust. The longer you wait, the rustier you get. And when you finally decide to take action, you have to get rid of all that rust! Which is a whole other issue.
I would love to tell you I’m always pursuing God at this intensity. But unfortunately, I can’t. Believe it or not, living this way is actually quite hard. You have to shift priorities, stop second guessing God, trust him and not yourself, etc. It’s definitely not easy. But then again, easy things are usually not worth the effort. But if you do something hard, and you put a lot of time and energy into it, then when you finally reach your goal, you look back and think, “How could I have even thought about quitting?”
I’m still working on trying to live with this attitude and mindset. It’s definitely not easy but at the end of my life I am determined not to be covered in rust but to be so worn out from from serving God that anyone who sees me can tell I’m completely burnt out for God.
Therefore my brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
Will you rust out or burn out?