You’ve likely heard the name William Carey, as he is considered to be the founder of the modern missionary movement.

Carey’s start was humble. When God first burdened his heart for global missions, he was repairing shoes for a living. But God used him in a great way. Not only did he co-found the Baptist Missionary Society, but he himself served as a missionary in India for many years and was instrumental in helping thousands hear the message of the gospel for the first time. It has been said that Carey was at a prestigious dinner party once when a British lord attempted to embarrass him by referencing his humble past: “Mr. Carey, I hear you once were a shoemaker!” Carey quickly corrected him: “No, your lordship, not a shoemaker, only a cobbler!” Being an instrument of the gospel to share the love of Christ requires genuine humility.