For the past few days, I have been reading “Being Elisabeth Elliott” by Ellen Vaughn, and it’s heartbreaking. Elisabeth married her third husband, Lars, when she was 50 years old and knew right after marrying him, that she had made a mistake. He became extremely controlling and angry, even keeping her from her daughter and eight grandchildren. The family did an intervention to help her but after a few days, she said she wanted to go back to her husband because he was her head, and she was to submit to him. She lived in this angry, controlling atmosphere for the last 38 years of her life.

I went to bed pondering this. I found out her husband, Lars, became a Christian four years after she died. Many would say she should have divorced him. I have a different take. She suffered for righteousness’ sake (1 Peter 2) for 38 years. It’s a brief time compared to eternity. Lars will now spend eternity in heaven with the Lord.

I’m sure a large reason for his salvation is that she won him by her godly behavior and living in subjection to him without a word, just as God commands women in her situation to do in 1 Peter 3:1-6. It’s really remarkable if you think about it. She thought far more  about Lars’ eternal soul than her comfort while on earth.

*By the way, Elisabeth’s daughter, Valerie, endorsed this book on her Facebook page, so she must have agreed with what Ellen wrote about her life.

And for those of you who don’t believe suffering should be a part of a Christian’s life:

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:32-40

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