“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and patience.” ~ Colossians 3:12
He began preparing for missionary
work at age 14. Hudson rose early to
study the language, exercised vigorously, and learned to live with minimal
comforts. God even provided a way for
him to learn basic medicine so he'd be better equipped to serve in China, where
an estimated 35,000 people passed into eternity daily without Christ. Yet, there were some lessons that only life's
trials could teach the young man.
He pulled his coat tighter
around his thin frame as he roamed a crowded London street. A hand in his pocket fingered his sole
remaining coin. "Lord, my rent is soon due and I've only a bit of food. Please remind Dr. Hardy to pay me. Help me to trust in You, Lord."
As he walked on, a stranger recognized him as the doctor's
assistant and grabbed his arm. "My
wife - she needs help," he pleaded.
Hudson responded immediately.
They rushed inside a squalid
flat with cheerless walls and dingy floors.
Foul body odors and tobacco smoke greeted him. Five hollow-eyed children huddled in the
shadows too weak to move.
Hudson hung his head knowing there was little medicine could
do for this family. "Let’s pray for
her,” Hudson suggested.
Even as he asked the Lord to
send them food and heal the mom, he felt the coin in his pocket. They could buy food and fresh vegetables with
it, but it was literally all he had. Soon
he’d be hungry too!
Could he trust God to take care of his needs if he also gave away his belongings? Hudson felt no peace until he stopped arguing with himself, removed his coat and sweater, and handed them to the woman, along with the coin. "God bless you," she whispered tearfully.
Hudson Taylor moved to Shanghai
where, for 51 years, he recruited and trained missionaries in all 18 Chinese provinces. His pioneering work during the 1800s opened
Christianity when China was especially suspicious, even hostile toward
foreigners.
Taylor was not someone whose
appearance depicted the leader of a global mission. An Englishman wearing Chinese robes and a
long pigtail drew criticism from other missionaries. He approached the Chinese with humility
rather than self-righteousness; converting people to Christ in their own
culture rather than converting them to Western principles.
Pride negotiates as equals; humility approaches in need. Pride separates by putting down others;
humility identifies with others, recognizing we all have the same needs. Pride destroys through its alienating
self-service; humility opens doors with its power to sympathize with the struggles
we share. Humility offers an open and
lifted-up hand.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, let my heart always imitate Your
humility, grant me with a natural inclination to never view myself greater than
anyone. Banish all lingering sparks of
self-importance that could elevate me greater than You. Amen
