Wherever you are, be all there!

I came across this blogpost today that I left unfinished in 2016, so I decided to finish it up: 

So it is the 60th anniversary  of the Martyring of the 5 missionaries to the Waorani in Ecuador (Jan 8, 1956) and I came across this quote from Jim Elliot 

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

Which I am sure I have see before but do not recall it.  I thought it would be a nice quote to share on the anniversary and went to find a picture meme to go with it. And that was when I had a moment of disconnect. 

First of all the quote itself is often shortened to 

"Wherever you are, be all there!" 

Which takes out the meat of the quote, the passion that comes from doing what you believe to be the will of God.

I even found one you-tube video that reduces it to 

"Be all there."

While it does acknowledge that Jim Elliot "died for his mission" but the whole thing is targeting advancement and getting to your "dream job." The video closes with:

"Today is your day to advance."

I don't think that is at all what Jim Elliot was talking about. The wholeheartedness is not in question, but rather the target of the wholeheartedness. 

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23,24

That lines up nicely with the other, more famous, Jim Elliot quote: 

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."