William Carey was born in 1761, son of a weaver and shoemaker and became a forerunner, some consider him the father of modern missions. He was an intelligent individual, self-taught. As he worked in the families shoemakers shop he taught himself the languages of Hebrew, Italian, Dutch and French.
A Baptist, he began to feel a call on his life from God to reach out to the world with the gospel of Christ. With much criticism he helped to form the first Missions Society. He felt a call to go to India but met with much ridicule, even being told, ” Young man, if God wants to save anyone in India, He will do it without our help.” But he went anyway in 1793.
These men who criticized him, missed the point of our partnership with God. God does very little on Earth without using the likes of us. But William Carey understood that. Once in India he again, taught himself the language then translated the Bible into the languages of Bengali, Sanskrit, Marathi and Punjabi. He went on to open the first university in India along the way of his 41 year ministry to the country of India without a single furlough. In his 41 years of service he is credited with some 7000 converts, which may not seem like a lot but along the way he laid the foundation work for world missions in India and around the world that would reach millions through the coming centuries.
William Carey understood the partnership we have with God. As partners in God’s work on earth, we insist that God’s will be done while at the same time committing ourselves to whatever that may require of us. We all have different roles to play, we and God. It is our role to follow in Jesus’ steps by doing the work of the kingdom both in our prayers and our deeds.
As William Carey is famous for saying, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”
Sharing His Spirit – tRP
the Rear Pew 