Hudson Taylor’s secret to getting the fullness of Christ into your life
In 1869, the brave Hudson Taylor had a problem with his faith. “I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed,” he wrote, “but the practical question was—how to get it out. He was rich truly, but I was poor; He was strong, but I weak. I knew full well that there was in the root, the stem, abundant fatness, but how to get it into my puny little branch was the question” (Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, p. 162).
Another way to state this would be, “Why does it feel like I can’t get the fullness of Christ into my life?”
Have you ever wondered about this? Maybe your faith feels a bit dry, or you’ve hit a sluggish period in your relationship with God, and you feel like a puny little branch, too. How do we get what Christ wants to give us?
A mentor of Taylor’s gave him a succinct answer: “Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.”
This led to a eureka moment for Taylor. He wrote, “I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more. For has not He promised to abide with me—never to leave me, never to fail me?”
Taylor explains that Jesus has made us part of him, as if we’re branches growing out of his vine. This oneness means his riches are ours, his joy is ours, his righteousness is ours—just like the water and nutrients that flow from the vine out to its branches, causing them to grow and bear fruit (see John 15).
This new understanding of Christ’s presence already inside Hudson Taylor brought the rest he was seeking, even in the midst of hardship: “So, if God should place me in serious perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in positions of great difficulty, much grace; in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength?”
He continues: “Oh, it is a joy to feel Jesus living in you, to find your heart all taken up by Him; to be reminded of His love by His seeking communion with you at all times, not by your painful attempts to abide in him.”
I’m still thinking about this. I often find myself trying to rest in Jesus, but forcing it rarely works. After reading this section of Taylor’s book, I needed some time to fully grasp the teaching for my own life.
So, I’ve been “trying out” the concept the past couple days, repainting the picture in my mind that Christ is already in me, aware of my thoughts, needs, pressures and desires. I’ve found myself often forgetting about his nearness, occasionally snapping back to the truth that he really is closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24).
When I keep this in mind, it’s like there’s a shorter distance for me to hand-deliver my fears and worries to him. I’m praying this new level of intimacy will take root in my life. Why don’t you try it with me?
Rooted in him,
Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
LinkedIn profile | My books
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