I have been listening to Gateway to Joy with Elisabeth Elliot over the past few weeks over at BBN Radio. When they did a repeat of last week’s episodes, I thought I’d poke around for another place to listen and happened upon a treasure trove of talks by Mrs. Elliot on YouTube.
Elisabeth Elliot is one of the women who has most influenced me in my walk with Christ. Ever since I discovered her books in college, I have spent many hours reading her work, praying through her excellent counsel, listening to her talks in person and in recordings, and being continually challenged to give my all for Jesus Christ.
Who is Your Master? was a convicting way to start my day. I especially loved her definition of contentment, so much so that I copied it into my planner as a reminder for the rest of my day:
Contentment does not lie in despising what you don’t have; contentment lies in gratitude for what you do have. And contentment lies in receiving these things as gifts from God, knowing that, if they are gifts, the One who gave them can also take them away…We can hold these things, as it were, on an open palm, ‘Here, Lord, thank You, and any time You want to take them away, they’re Yours.’ –Elisabeth Elliot
Myriads of Thoughts 