Around this time, revival was sweeping through England and Lillias got caught up in the tide. She began working with prostitutes in some of the worst parts of London. She eventually opened the first restaurant to cater to down and out women. She taught them a trade and helped them get on their feet. One night, in a revival meeting, the preacher asked, “Who here is God calling to go to North Africa as a missionary?” Lillias said she knew the Spirit was moving her and she jumped to her feet with her hand in the air. Some might call this the reaction of a spoiled, rich girl who didn’t know any better. Lillias had other thoughts.
She applied to the mission board for acceptance and was denied. She and two of her friends decided to defy the odds. They booked passage and sailed right into Algiers, Algeria, the heart of North Africa. For the next 40 years, Lillias championed the work of the female missionary in one of the toughest places on earth. She hiked across the desert and brought the freedom of the Gospel to Bedouin villages all across northern Algeria. She rode camels for hundreds of miles, drank strong coffee, had Gospel conversations with more women than could be counted, and cared for thousands of children in the name of Jesus.
Why did Lillias do this? Why did she leave a life of ease and fame for desert caravans and heat strokes? Because she understood something that millions of Christians have latched onto over the last 2,000 years. That is, she believed Jesus is THE way, THE truth and THE life and no one comes to the Father (God) except by Him. (John 14.6) Lillias knew, as did the rest of the world, that early 1900’s Algeria was a Muslim stronghold. She, and all the others who joined her, gave their lives to share the truth of Jesus that sets people free.
This is something I think a lot about. Is there such a thing as exclusive truth? Is Jesus the embodiment of that truth? He certainly claimed to be. Christianity has never been a go along to get along religion. Neither has Islam. Christianity has always said that Jesus is the only way to know God and enjoy the certainty of life forever with Him. Here’s the thing: no other religion makes that claim. Every other religion that believes in a higher power outside yourself will say that you must earn your place in Heaven. In their descriptions, Heaven is a reward that is given after you die and your works are weighed and measured. There are a rising number of religions that say the higher power resides in us; that we are gods. However, that’s a topic for another article.
What’s more, Christianity is the only religion that tells the story of God coming to us. Every other religion pitches God as a far-removed, disengaged being. On top of that, the primary characteristic we see in Jesus is love. In fact, He tells us this is why He came! But the primary characteristics portrayed by every other god are on the opposite end of the spectrum: vengeance, judgment, wrath and complete separation from us. God requires sacrifice and meets His own demands with the life of His Son. Many other religions require sacrifice and meet the demands with the lives of their adherents. When Lillias watched the way Algerians treated women, she knew they were not worshipping the same god. When we hear the vengeance that comes out of the mouths and minds of many conservative Muslims today, we have no doubt; we are not worshipping the same god. When we read about the rape gangs in England, the way Hamas treats their prisoners and the jihadist pilots who flew their planes into the World Trade Center, we have no question. Allah and Yahweh are absolutely not the same being. That same comparison can be built between Jesus and any other god of any other religion.
My point is this, the world needs more Lillias Trotter’s. We are too wimpy in our faith. We make far too many concessions, when people like Lillias are laying down their lives for the truth. I dare say the biggest problem we will have today is the temperature outside, the cost of our utility bill, or an AC repair. The biggest debate we’ll enter will have something to do with Trump, the economy, red vs blue states or school rules. All those things have their place. Just know, there are people all over the world today who will die and the only question they cared to find an answer to had nothing to do with our complicated lives. They want to know, “Is God real? If He is, does He love me? If He loves me, can I know Him? If so, how does that happen?”
I’m not really worried about what you give your life to today or this week. I’m wondering what you are planning on giving your life to for the next 20 years. Eternity hangs in the balance for many who are waiting on your answer.