Different Centuries, a Common Mission

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British missionary Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) has been described as “one of the most famous missionaries in human history.” He founded China Inland Mission (CIM), an organized effort to take the gospel to the inland provinces of China. For 51 years, God used Hudson Taylor to spread the gospel in China.

The missionary was once introduced as “our illustrious guest.” His response was, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.”

Hudson Taylor was seen by many as a spiritual giant. He preferred to be viewed as simply a servant of God.

A book titled Days of Blessing in Inland China allows us to take a seat at a conference that was held in Shan-Xi province in China. It was a time of learning and renewal for CIM missionaries. The publication is a compilation of Hudson Taylor’s messages and brief remarks.

“Lord, save me!”

At a Tuesday evening session, Taylor preached from the Gospel of John, Chapter 5. His fellow missionaries’ ears must have perked up when he pointed to a particular section of Scripture as being his favorite to share with the Chinese. It centered around Peter’s words, “Lord, save me,” taken from the account of the disciple walking on water. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)

Let’s ‘listen’ to a small portion of his message:

“He [Jesus] spoke to them, He was recognized, and Peter says, ‘Lord, if it be Thou, command me to walk on the water too.’ There is something instructive about Peter's appeal. If the Master can walk on the waters, why cannot those who are His, those who are one with Him, do so too?

“The Lord says, ‘Come, you will find sure footing,’ and he did, while he looked on Jesus. But when he turned his eyes away, he began to sink at once; and then he uttered that beautiful prayer, Lord, save me.

“This is a favorite text with me in preaching to the Chinese. The ‘LORD’ first, and in large characters; ‘me’ last and least in size. And the two joined together by the word ‘save;’ as the Lord's salvation unites me to Himself.

“If I am not strong or wise; if I am perplexed, or discouraged, whatever it is that I want saving about, for myself, my work, or the native Christians, I can cry, ‘LORD, save me.’”

Surely Taylor’s sermon refreshed the hearts of the missionaries. It’s not hard to imagine some of the struggles they faced, including leaving their native land, learning a new language, and integrating their lives into a foreign culture. Yet they, like Peter, had the ear of the God who listens, the God who cares. There’s encouragement there for us too. We have our struggles on our mission field, and thankfully, we have the assurance that the Lord hears our cries for help.

Resisting Hard-heartedness

During a Thursday evening session, Hudson Taylor brought to light the temptation that missionaries sometimes face. He talked about the temptation to become callous toward those you try to reach with the gospel.

It’s a temptation that’s common to us today as we take the gospel to those where we live. I think of pastors and Sunday School teachers who diligently speak of spiritual matters, only to have them met with quiet rejection. There are Christians who witness to their lost loved ones – for a long time, and what they say is often met with indifference. Others pour their lives into ministries to the needy and become discouraged when they don’t see much fruit from their labors. Experiences like these have the potential to cause us to become hard-hearted toward those we are trying to point to Christ.

Here’s the caution Hudson Taylor had for his fellow missionaries:

“Hard missionaries are not of much use; they are not like their Master; He is never hard. It is better to be trusting, and gentle, and sympathizing, even if often taken [advantage of].

“The converts of Paul saw the Apostle deemed it a small thing to die for them.

“It is not mere preaching the Gospel that will do what needs to be done. Our life must so [demonstrate Christlikeness to] the people, that they cannot mistake what we are.

“We must show them that we are not weary of them. It is important that the fatherly spirit should characterize our lives. If they gather that we are hard and sharp, and set on silver like themselves, that will be a fatal mistake.

“Our life must be one of visible self-sacrifice.”

It’s encouraging to hear Hudson Taylor’s guidance for the missionaries of his day, especially considering it’s applicable to our lives.

If you’d like to learn more about Hudson Taylor, consider reading Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission, a two-volume biography written by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s son and daughter-in-law. Many consider it the best of the Hudson Taylor biographies. Unlike Days of Blessing in Inland China, it’s relatively easy to find online.

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