“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
Revelation 2:10–11
In just thirty-seven short years of life, missionary William Milne managed to make a dramatic impact in God’s work. After his conversion as a teenager, Milne volunteered to join the London Missionary Society and became their missionary to China. He undertook the difficult work of learning a new language with a willing spirit. Milne once said, “Learning the Chinese language requires bodies of iron, lungs of brass, heads of oak, hands of spring steel, eyes of eagles, hearts of apostles, memories of angels, and lives of Methuselah.” Yet despite the hardships, he persisted and became an expert in Chinese.
Milne buried his wife and two of their infant children on the mission field before dying himself. But during his time in China he helped found churches and a Bible college and wrote and edited two missionary magazines. Hundreds were saved as a result of his effort. The refusal to yield to difficulty made his ministry a lasting success. Two of his children followed him into full time ministry, and his testimony encouraged many to follow him to the mission field as well.
The difference between people who do something good and lasting for God’s work and those who do nothing is not whether or not they face obstacles. All of us face difficulties and challenges along the way. The difference is whether their faith is strong enough to trust God through the trials and continue on consistently in building His work. This is the faith we need to change our world today.