It wasn’t too late to flee the country; thousands were still able to buy their way out. The pastor and his wife struggled with the decision to go or stay. “If we go to prison, it could be for years. What about our son?” But they did not want to leave their church. The members looked to them for strength and support, and the couple felt guilty for being tempted to leave. A friend reminded them of the angel’s words to Lot, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee.”
The pastor wondered, “Was that a message from God? Should we escape for our lives?”
His wife read another verse. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).
So the debate continued until one night at a secret house-church meeting, where fifty believers had gathered for an all-night vigil. Around midnight, a woman kneeling with the rest cried out, “And you, the one who is thinking of leaving—remember that the Good Shepherd did not desert his flock. He stayed to the end.”
This dear woman knew nothing about the struggle of the pastor and his wife, but to them the message was clear. They stayed and chose to serve their flock, and later suffered with them in prison.
Like the Wurmbrands, we must pray about our decisions, search the Bible, and listen to others’ counsel. And, like the Wurmbrands, we must be committed to obeying God’s answer before we receive it. That is the key. It is as if we begin our prayers with a firm “Yes” before we even ask what we should do. We must be willing to let go of our own lives and lose all sense of ownership. Only then can we find our true life and accept God’s full will for our lives. Do you often keep such a tight grip on your life that if God wanted to change your mind about a certain decision, you wouldn’t allow him to do it anyway?
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