God uses men and women alike. Years ago, when I visited a small town in Java, I was told by the pastor of the church that they had a ministry up in a mountain outside of town. But the ministry was not started by him or the church that he pastored; it was started by a woman missionary. Despite her limited ability to communicate in the local language, she managed to win many to Christ.

One of the women God used in a special way was Amy Carmichael,a British woman who gave 53 years of her life serving God in India. One of the men that influenced her was Jeremy Taylor, a British pastor who lived in the 17th century. One of his prayers that he wrote became her prayer for life, “Lord, do Thou turn me all into love, and all my love into obedience, and let my obedience be without interruption.” A beautiful and powerful prayer, especially the last part of it, “let my obedience be without interruption.”

As I reflect on it, I must admit that my obedience is often with interruption. There are times when I take a break and do not obey God. In other words, I am not always consistent. So, it is fitting for us who take following God seriously to strive to obey Him without interruption. At any time, in whatever condition, we obey Him. But as the prayer indicates, it can only be made possible by love. We obey God because we love Him. Only love can make us obey God consistently, without interruption. Without love, nothing lasts.

And it was her mother’s love for Jesus that released Amy to go to India as a young woman, as she eloquently wrote to her dear child, “So, darling, when He asks you now to go away from within my reach, can I say, no? No, no, Amy, He is yours—you are His—to take you where He pleases and to use you as He pleases. I can trust you to Him . . . . “ Let our love and obedience be without interruption.

Pastor Paul