Paul’s command regarding anxiety (see sermon) comes in the middle of a multi-year imprisonment, with his fate unknown. Paul certainly understood anxiety, and yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he speaks of an antidote.

Another missionary who wrote about overcoming anxiety was Hudson Taylor, who first sailed to China in 1853 at the age of 21 and eventually started the China Inland Mission (CIM), which become the largest Protestant mission agency in the world. Over the course of more than 50 years as a missionary, Taylor suffered the death of two different wives and five of his children.

From the beginning of his service, Taylor struggled with anxiety, even before starting a family or the mission agency (he eventually became responsible for 750 deployed missionaries and their children). But 16 years into his life as a missionary, Taylor suddenly came to understand and experience the antidote. A partner observed the transformation and wrote of Taylor:

"He had been a toiling, burdened one before, with latterly not much rest of soul. It was resting in Jesus now, and letting Him do the work – which makes all the difference... Troubles did not worry him as before. He cast everything on God in a new way, and gave more time to prayer. Instead of working late at night, he began to go to bed earlier, rising at 5 A.M. to give time to Bible study and prayer (often two hours) before the work of the day began."

Once, Taylor received word of life-threatening rioting in two of the mission’s stations. In response, he began to whistle his favorite hymn, “Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what thou art.” Someone exclaimed:

“How can you whistle, when our friends are in so much danger!” “Would you have me anxious and troubled?” was the quiet reply. “That would not help them, and would certainly incapacitate me for my work. I have just to roll the burden on the Lord.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God… casting all your anxieties on him. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan