August 14, 2026
— Stanley Peregrine Smith · Source: Letter from P'ing-yang Fu, Shansi (1885), in B. Broomhall, ed., The Evangelisation of the World: A Missionary Band (1887), p. 46
Acts 20:24 But I consider my life neither precious nor valuable, only to finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus, as a testimony to the good news of God’s grace.
Stanley Smith willingly gave up his promising future and comfort at Cambridge because he saw the immeasurable value of the soul in Christ. We often mistake dedication for sacrifice, and worldly comfort and fame for priceless treasures, neglecting the true abundance of eternity. When the Gospel illuminates a desperate life, the light emanating from the depths of the soul is enough to extinguish all the fleeting glory of the world. Today, where should my gaze be fixed? Am I willing to relinquish my current control and calculations, and allow the heart of Christ to love the souls around me?
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me this precious life in Christ. Open my eyes so that I may see the fleeting nature of worldly honor, no longer viewing giving as sacrifice, but as a privilege leading to immeasurable glory. Open my heart, grant me the burden and compassion to love souls, so that in my daily life I may illuminate the lives around me with sincerity and humility. May my choices and my life respond to Your divine calling, winning You more precious souls. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!