I grew up singing the simple, yet powerful, song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” As a pastor, we have made t-shirts for baptism Sundays that simply say, “I Have Decided,” based on this song. Yet not until recently was I made aware of the story that shaped the meaning of this song. Several weeks ago, I visited India for the first time. I went to train Bible college and seminary students who are future church planters. I was taken aback by their faith and resolve. When we asked one student how we can pray for him upon his graduation, he responded, “Pray that I will serve Jesus with my last breath.”
These students understand the cost of following Jesus and planting churches, especially in the north of India. A short time ago, a recent graduate of this seminary was shot and killed in the village where he was planting a church. Yet they are resolved to carry the gospel to every town and every village. They call it “Do or die missions.”
The church of India has a long, rich history of overcoming persecution. The legend behind the world-famous song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” has become one of my favorites. It was in the mid-1800s when a family was led to Christ through the labor of Scottish missionary William Cowan. He served in India from 1866 until his death in 1902. He was an evangelist, preaching the gospel wherever he went, planting many churches. He was an educator who built many schools and empowered so many families through literacy programs. He was also a reformer and introduced much of Northeast India to hygiene and better health. He was a true demonstration of how the power of the gospel can affect and influence an entire culture.
Cowan was not warmly received when he first arrived in Assam, India. The language barrier was just one of the many challenges he faced, yet he felt called to share the hope of the gospel with the Naga people group. He painstakingly learned the local language. He was able to teach the villagers agriculture, and he even used scripture and the parables of Christ to reinforce spiritual truths. It would not be long before he planted his first church among the villagers, and many began to experience faith in Christ.
One of his converts would face severe persecution that would ultimately cost him his life, yet little did he know that his stand for Christ would change the world. History does not tell us his name, but be assured, heaven knows his name, for it is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. As the story goes, he and his family were brought before the tribal leadership. They were angry that the gospel was spreading. They threatened him and his family and demanded that they renounce their faith. Remaining resolute, he famously responded, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” The tribal people martyred his wife first, and it is said that it is where the line, “Though none go with me, still I will follow,” came from. This faithful Christian would eventually lose his own life and pay the ultimate price for following Jesus. Christ said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (John 15:18).
This song was given to us by the church of India. What a great gift they have given the body of Christ. It was translated into English in the 1960s, and over time, it has been translated into numerous languages. Now that you know the story behind the song, ponder afresh these timeless words:
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Tho' none go with me, Still I will follow,
Tho' none go with me, Still I will follow,
Tho' none go with me, Still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus,
My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, No turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Now I invite you to do more than ponder. Pray for the suffering Church. Today, the church of India still faces persecution, especially in the north of the country. Weeks before my visit to India, numerous churches were burnt to the ground in the northeast part of the country. Christians who live in countries that are hostile to the gospel or face restrictive governments need our love, prayers, and support. Hebrews 13:3 reminds us to,
“Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus - Lydia Walker (Lyric Video) from Lydia Walker on GodTube.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Sonja Filitz
Chad’s pastoral career has not been defined by blindness. Rather, it is his clear, biblical teaching that continues to grow an audience. He has traveled through forty nations, training pastors and strengthening churches.
Today, Chad teaches people to trust a God they cannot see. His days are filled with the things he loves most: leading, speaking, writing, and of course, coffee! He is a spiritual content creator. By God’s grace, he is emerging as a trusted spiritual voice in people’s lives. Chad may have blindness, but blindness does not have him.
