Day 21
The Mind of a Missionary Devotional
Trading the Cricket Bat for the Bible
C. T. Studd
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:20-21
The Cambridge cricket team captain, C. T. Studd, was celebrated as one of the greatest players in the sport’s history, becoming a household name throughout Great Britain in the 1880s. His prowess on the cricket field brought him unparalleled fame, and his future in the sport seemed cemented. Yet, beneath the applause and the accolades, a deeper calling tugged at Studd’s heart.
Born into luxury and privilege on December 2, 1860, Studd’s life was one of comfort and ease. Yet, the allure of worldly success and the trappings of fame could not hold him when he encountered the transformative love of Jesus Christ. The same fields where he once played cricket and basked in his victories became the backdrop for a more significant decision—one that would see him trade the cricket bat for the Bible, the cheering crowds for the challenges of the mission field.
Studd was deeply moved by the writings of Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM), who highlighted the spiritual poverty of the Chinese people. The vast populations living in spiritual darkness gripped his heart.
After his acceptance into the CIM, Studd and his six counterparts toured the campuses of England and Scotland for one month in early 1885. The Cambridge Seven, as the missionary band came to be known, drew large crowds as they shared their testimonies at revival meetings throughout Great Britain. “Are you living for the day or are you living for life eternal?” Studd challenged his listeners. “Are you going to care for the opinion of men here or for the opinion of God?”
Publicly declaring his intent to serve overseas, the audience, including fellow sportsmen and intellectuals familiar with his sporting achievements, were shocked. Here was a man at the pinnacle of his career, choosing to walk away from it all for the sake of the Gospel. But Studd made up his mind. “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me,” he proclaimed, “then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”
His decision was met with mixed reactions. While many admired his dedication, others saw it as a waste of talent. But for Studd, the call to serve was non-negotiable. He ventured into China, India, and later, Central Africa—places darkened by despair and spiritual void. Years later, reflecting on his decision to leave behind his illustrious cricketing career, Studd said, “Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary.”
When he returned home to England in 1906 after more than two decades in China and India, Studd set his sights on Central Africa. But the mission field had left him penniless, doctors advised against additional travel, and a committee of businessmen who had agreed to fund his mission discontinued their support. Still, Studd was convinced God told him to go. As a young sportsman, he staked his career; in China, he staked his fortune; now, he risked his life. His response to the businessmen’s committee was brash. “Gentlemen, God has called me to go, and I will go,” he said. “I will blaze the trail, though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow.”
Leaving his wife and four daughters in England, Studd sailed for the heart of Africa on December 15, 1910. The new field challenged the seasoned missionary. Weakened by years of service, Studd lost most of his teeth and suffered several heart attacks in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Still, he endured difficulty as a good soldier of Christ, continuing Gospel work until his death in 1931.
C. T. Studd was a polarizing figure. He was ruthless in the standards he set for himself and others, interpreting leisure and recreation as idleness, saying, “I cannot abide cowardice. I refuse to make my God and Saviour a nonentity!” Later in life, people were perplexed about how a man in his fifties could abandon an ailing wife to become a missionary in one of the world’s most remote areas. His devotion to Jesus Christ was unrivaled, but many of his contemporaries saw him as a fanatic. Still, the mission C. T. Studd founded, Worldwide Evangelization for Christ (WEC), has grown to be one of the largest missions in the world today.
This one man’s dedication will always confront those seeking an easier path, as one of his biographers wrote: “C. T. Studd’s life stands as some rugged Gibraltar—a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worthwhile to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. His life will be an eternal rebuke to easy-going Christianity. He has demonstrated what it means to follow Christ without counting the cost and without looking back.”
– Personal Response –
Passage: Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:20-21)
Point: No earthly achievement compares to the eternal value of full surrender to Jesus Christ.
Ponder: Are you clinging to temporary treasures or courageously trading them for what will last forever?
Prayer: Lord, help me to see through the illusion of worldly success. Teach me to treasure what You treasure, and give me the courage to follow You at all costs. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Proclamation: I will not give in to comfort, applause, or fear, but will serve Christ and count no sacrifice too great to make for Him.
Practice: Write down what you’re most afraid to give up for Christ. Then take one bold step this week to surrender or invest that thing in His Kingdom.
Learn more about The Mind of a Missionary Devotional at themindofamissionary.com
