Book review: Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot

Jim Elliot was an American missionary who lived all-out for Christ. He traveled to South America for his work and helped start a church there, bringing the Gospel to the Quichua tribe. Not only did he live for Christ, but he also died for Him at the hands of savage Indians he was attempting to minister to. Shadow of the Almighty is a biography that focuses on Jim’s life, mostly his 20s when he went to college and became a missionary. The book, which was written by Jim’s wife Elisabeth (called Betty), gives insight into Jim’s spiritual life by compiling Jim’s detailed journal entries and letters.

Hebrews 6:12 tells us to be “imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Jim is someone I now try to imitate in faith and in the way he lived out the Gospel. In his journal entries, it seemed his every thought was about Christ. I want to be the same way; I want to be as focused on spiritual things as he was; to be okay with dying a death for the Lord as he did. The story of Jim’s life is extremely encouraging, much more because it is true.

Lessons I learned…

If there was one thing I learned from this book, it was what loving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength looks like. Jim truly put God first in his life; he pursued Jesus and the truth of the Word above all else. His wife wrote that he acted on principle rather than feeling, consulting God and the Word on every decision.

Jim was eager to do things for Christ. There was a season where God was preparing him to be a missionary. Jim knew the importance of preparation and was patient but longed to get into the mission field, something he realized he wanted to pursue while in college. Jim made an incredible impact in the tribe he brought the Gospel to in South America, but he also made an impact at home, where he lived out the Gospel in front of everyday Americans. Many of those around him were affected by his love for God.

Another thing about Jim that amazed me was his Christlike restraint. Jim held back on marrying the woman he loved, Betty, for many years. He thought he would be more effective in the mission field as a single man and therefore didn’t start a romantic relationship with Betty, though he still met up with and corresponded with her. I’ve experienced crushes but never love as Jim had for his future wife. I can’t imagine how hard it was for Jim to hold back from a relationship, but he found the strength for it by drawing upon the Lord’s power.

Throughout the book, I wondered if Jim knew he was going to die. There were several times he wrote about dying young in his journal. He asked God to light his heart on fire with the Holy Spirit, then thought about how flames are often short-lived and wondered if he would be okay with living a short life. At one point, Jim even wrote that he was ready to die and be with his Lord; that he had already experienced so much goodness on Earth and longed for Heaven.

Jim’s eternal mindset reminded me to also set my mind on eternal things. He made decisions based on eternal principles rather than what he felt in the moment, and because he was focused on eternal things, he knew what really mattered. He understood that a nice house didn’t make much of a difference, but translating Bible passages did. He understood that his loved ones’ opinions were to be taken into consideration, but God’s Word was the final say. Give me the same wisdom, Lord!

Jim was thankful for what he had. He wrote that he couldn’t possibly ask for more; he had a godly wife and a beautiful daughter, he was living his dream life as a missionary, and God had blessed him in so many ways. He had fewer possessions than most of us have, but was satisfied with what he was given. The blessings he had were enough to sustain him, and the Lord fulfilled his promise to provide.

Occassionaly, Jim would write that he had ‘dedicated people to the Lord.’ He dedicated his future wife, Betty, to the Lord. He dedicated a man he had shared the Gospel with to the Lord. That man later became a Christian. After reading Shadow of the Almighty, I began dedicating people to the Lord. I ask Him to use people’s lives for His kingdom. Of course, their salvation isn’t a decision I can make, but I can dream of it and ask God to work through them and bring them to him.

Jim played a part in bringing dozens of people to Christ. He wasn’t concerned about the matters of this Earth; he was concerned about populating Heaven and building up riches there. His story impacted hundreds of people he never met through his biography. I found a spiritual example in him that I strive to follow. I’m sure Jim didn’t regret that he ended up dying for Christ. He made an impact on so many through his life and death.

Jim’s wife Betty and another woman were able to later bring the gospel to the tribe Jim died trying to witness to. Betty did this with a toddler after the tribe had murdered her husband and 5 others with spears. How amazing is that? She knew full well that something horrible could happen to her, or worse, her daughter, but she trusted in the Lord. Some of the Indians Jim had tried to share the Gospel with came to Christ because of this. His work was not in vain!

Shadow of the Almighty is a book that I highly recommend. The first time I read the story of Jim’s death, I closed the book I had read about it in and turned away for a second, but was so intrigued and horrified that I picked the book back up a few seconds later. The book emphasized how fully devoted to Christ Jim was, making it convicting to read. Giving everything to God is something I struggle with, which made this book an even greater encouragement and inspiration.