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Journals of Jim Elliot

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

And so was Jim Elliot, martyr at the hands of South American Indians who later gave their lives to Christ. In this, his autobiography via his journals, we see the life this young man led and the preordained road that led him to gain what he could not lose.

"The Journals of Jim Elliot" had a profound effect on me as a young man as I happened to be at a similar stage in life as Elliot during most of the pages. What I found on those pages - the lifeblood of a man fully sold out to God - changed my life.

A long book, "tJoJE" calls anyone who wants to know how to live a committed Christian life throughout the slow unfolding of Elliot's life. As an encouragement to young men, it is peerless. Its only detraction is due to the very nature of the autobiographical style as derived from journal entries. While you see God's hand moving in Elliot's life, sometimes the nature of the entries is lost, slow-moving, or repetitive. Such is the style of the book.

However, what I found most helpful in reading this book is the stark contrast between Christian practice of fifty-plus years ago and today. Elliot was distinctly a man of his time, but he was not alone in his complete surrender to God. He was surrounded by many people who were like him. How he lived, thought, and died seems foreign to today's Christians. In fact, he shares more with a Christian of two hundred years ago in David Brainerd than anyone you typically find in a pew today. His example is so profound that it is hard not to feel that something has changed in the last couple decades. Somewhere there are men like Jim Elliot today; I hope I can find them and learn from their examples, as well.

Anyone who stays with "The Journals of Jim Elliot" will find a great reward in its pages. It has always been one of my favorite Christian books. If you want a book that offers something different, it is a soul-stirring story made more compelling by its truthful historicity.

Much of the content of this book are straight for the Journals of Jim Elliot. This is not the book for the casual reader. Many entries are the written impressions or feelings that he got from his morning devotions. Unlike a devotional, these thoughts were from Jim's experience and are obscure in many instances. For someone new to the Jim Elliot story, probably Shadow of the Almighty or Through Gates of Splendor would be a better choice. The Journals give you a glimpse into the private side of Jim Elliot but I fear the casual reader wood tire of this long before the end of more than 500 pages.

This book exceeds most devotionals simply because it is was not written as a devotional. Instead, it is the true and emotional journey of a man struggling to conform to the will of the Lord while dealing with his human needs and wants. Jim Elliot has captured here his private thoughts as he records his response to his own daily devotionals. He resonds to scripture, seeking it's meaning and the application into his own life. What impressed me was the listing of his progress through key books in the bible and his reasons for beginning the work in each of those books. He, like Elisabeth Elliot (as seen in Passion & Purity & Through Gates of splendor) cites Amy Carmichael and others who have impressed him throughout his journal. Excellent book for anyone desiring to understand what leads up to and sustains to life of Missions. Also excellent for anyone seeking a devotional plan that is very realistic, humbling and genuine.

This is a really challenging and at times humorous read. I was encouraged to find that this man of God struggled with the very same things that I often find myself struggling with. It will challenge you to a greater thirst for God and it will make you laugh. Let another real life for Christ point you to Him!

This is a very impressive book. It is the honest writings of a hero to many. In the book, you see that he was just like the rest of us and that he had a great passion for God. I certainly hope that more will read this book to get a glimpse of what a life turned on to God can do.

This book in many places is very good for personal devotions. There are also many sections that are great expositions of scripture. This book is biographical, devotional, and expository.

The real-life accounts given in Jim Elliot's journal make the reader realize that we all struggle with things, but that our amazing God is with us all the time, and He will use us, when we desire to be servants for Him.

I have read this book several times and given it as a gift time and again! This is about a man who gave it all for the service of the Lord Jesus Christ! You will have the opportunity to peer behind the scenes into this man's heart and see what his one desire was....to serve God! It is a hard book to put down and you will walk away having learned something you can apply to your life!

This book is in excellent condition. The journals of Jim Elliot reveal a man who understood the immediacy of Christ's return. Rather, he longed for Christ's second return. This book has been extremely inspirational to me. I highly recommend it!

This is not a book for a quick read, but for reading a little at a time, thinking about it, then coming back for more. If you want something deep but personal and insightful, this is a great read. Jim Eliot was a deep man who deeply love his Lord. He desired simplicity in his life, but depth in his walk with Jesus Christ and ultimately gave all for God. Many have been touched by Eliot's life and loss of it, and for good reason - he was a man of deep conviction who lived (and died) to serve Jesus Christ. This book of his journal writings is not for everyone but I guarantee that those who also seek a deeper walk knowledge and love of God will gain much from this compilation of Eliot's writings. I first purchased this book back in 1983 and before I went on a mission to Africa in 2001, I re-read it hoping to gain some insight on mission-field mind/soul/body preparation. Unfortunately, I misplaced the book shortly thereafter, but am now repurchasing it because it is, I believe, a definitive work that the serious Christian should have in their library to re-digest every few years or so. If you want a deep and soul-searching Christ-centered reading experience, this is the book for you. I think it would be a great gift for someone who is in search of a more meaningful relationship with God the Father.

When I was a student at Moody Bible Institute in the late 1960s hardly a missionary conference would go by without someone quoting Jim Elliot, a missionary who had been martyred by the Auca Indians. The quote was always the same: "He is no fool who give up that which he can never keep to gain that which he can never lose." This is a powerful quote and one worth repeating. He was saying to those that believe - everything on this earth is temporary and will pass away; what is done in the name of Christ will stand forever.

What a surprise to learn that as a college student Elliot began keeping a journal and did so until his death. This in itself is mind boggling. The fact that the journals are now available is even more mind boggling. His wife, Elizabeth has taken all of his journals and with the exception of a total of two to three pages of total content has presented them to us as a legacy.

There are hundreds who would say that Jim's story as told by Elizabeth in her book, "Through Gates of Splendor", was responsible for them dedicating themselves to Christian work of various kinds - especially missions. This book more fully reveals the man, who along with his flaws reveals an incredible heart. A heart that wanted to know God and who wanted to fulfill God's plan for him.

From every-day life as a college student to the trials of being a missionary in a remote jungle - it's all here for you to read, reflect - and perhaps find some inspiration and guidance.

Armchair Interviews agrees.