I have decided to follow Jesus
The name of the person who uttered these words is unknown, but his family's story is one that ought to give every Christian a reason to think about their commitment to Jesus Christ. Like many of our best loved hymns, there is a powerful true story behind it.
About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, as a result, many missionaries came from Wales to northeast India to spread the Gospel, amongst tribal communities that were sometimes quite hostile. The tribesmen in one village in the province of Assam were head-hunters and a man's strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace, and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One missionary finally succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This man's faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man sang his reply, "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back."
Enraged at the man's refusal, the chief ordered his archers to shoot the two children. As both boys lay on the floor, the chief asked, "Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children, you will lose your wife too." But the man replied, again singing, "Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back."
The chief was furious and ordered the wife to be shot. In a moment she joined her two children in death. He asked for the last time, "I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live." In the face of death the man sang, "The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back. No turning back." He too was shot dead. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, "Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some supernatural power behind the family, I too want that supernatural power." In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, "I too belong to Jesus Christ!" When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
Whatever your thoughts on this story God promises:
"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest." John 12:24 [AMP]
Dawn Milward
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