After reading an amazing quote from J.Hudson Taylor tonight, it really has my mind working in overdrive. It’s not an uncommon thought, but I must ashamedly admit I never looked at it in the same light as Hudson Taylor. His thought echoes the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
“19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
I know, it may not be new to you. But is the practical application of this new to you? Us? Christianity? Allow me to post just a quick excerpt from “The Call to Service” featuring Hudson Taylor.“Two or three years later, propositions of a an unusually favorable nature were made to me with regard to medical study, on the condition of my becoming apprenticed of the emedical man who was my friend and teacher. But I felt I dared not accept any binding engagement such as was suggested. I was not my own to give myself away; for I knew not when or how He whose alone I was, and for whose disposal I felt I must ever keept myself free, might call for service.”
I’m not sure if I had ever approached my calling in this way. Yes, I understand that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and yes I understand that I have been bought with a price. But to look at opportunities as hindrances if they bind me and prevent me from being available for the service to “He whose alone I am” is definitely a life changing thought. If we think about it, our Christian culture is often very guilty of the very thing Hudson Taylor (and the Apostle Paul) sought to avoid. He didn’t look to avoid success. To borrow a phrase from William Carey, “I’m not afraid of failure; I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.”
So the practical question is this: is that dream job preventing you from being used by God for eternal significance? Is that relationship hindering you from serving the people of God? Is that hobby consuming more of your time than you spend with Him? Are we succeeding at things that really don’t matter or are we intentionally keeping ourselves free for “He whose alone we are.”?
So, maybe saying God OWNS us is the wrong word. Complete SURRENDER has a much better ring to it.