false 5 0 false false Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 1991 Mon Jul 20 20:32:37 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 20:45:06 -0700 2009
It's not too hard a read for young people.

I read this book at a time when I was able to really identify with much of Hudson Taylor's struggles to find consistency and encouragement in his spiritual growth. The first half of the book is great and really details how he came to know the Lord and give everything he had to seriously following Christ. This included an almost fanatical devotion to all "christian" activities. However, his commitment was not enough to cause him to truly live a godly life. Instead, he finds himself leading a new mission agency - pioneering new mission trends and daily conscious of his sinful condition. He knew he needed but to focus on Christ. He knew he needed to live by faith. He knew all the clichés but could not figure out how to actually "do" any of it.

When I first read this, I still remember from the depths of my soul saying "YES...YES...this is exactly how I have been feeling!" And yet, I had found a peace in finally giving up and saying "I will no longer try to clean my life up. I will simply walk with Christ and if He wants to clean it up, then it will happen. He certainly can't make it worse than I have!" As I read Hudson's letters detailing how he came to see that Christ would never forsake him even if he was faithless I could relate. It was wonderful to see a man of God putting clear words and biblical theology to what I was personally experiencing. It made me more determined to simply walk with God.

Later when I went to Bible school I found that we had theological terms for this - "Positional Truth", "Identification Truths", "Let Go and Let God", etc. But I still credit this book with helping me first move in a direction where God would clean my life up and receive all the glory for it. So much better than when I thought I could memorize enough scripture to stop sinning. If it had worked - I would have stolen all of God's glory for my ability to live the christian life. Now I'm content to know I'm a failure but Christ is faithful.

Highly recommended!]]>