J. Hudson Taylor on Debt

Taken from The Autobiography of A Missionary by J. Hudson Taylor (Kindle Edition):

“Personally I had always avoided debt, and kept within my salary, though at times only by very careful economy.” (Highlight Loc. 1462-63)

“To me it seemed that the teaching of GOD’S Word was unmistakably clear: “Owe no man any thing.” To borrow money implied, to my mind, a contradiction of Scripture–a confession that GOD had withheld some good thing, and a determination to get for ourselves what He had not given. Could that which was wrong for one Christian to do be right for an association of Christians? Or could any amount of precedents make a wrong course justifiable? If the Word taught me anything, it taught me to have no connection with debt. I could not think that GOD was poor, that He was short of resources, or unwilling to supply any want of whatever work was really His. It seemed to me that if there were lack of funds to carry on work, then to that degree, in that special development, or at that time, it could not be the work of GOD.” (Highlight Loc. 1466-72)

“Duly qualified candidates for missionary labour are accepted without restriction as to denomination, provided they are sound in the faith in all fundamental truths: these go out in dependence upon GOD for temporal supplies, with the clear understanding that the officers of the Mission do not guarantee any income whatever; and knowing that as they will not go into debt, they can only minister to them as the funds sent in from time to time will allow.” (Highlight Loc. 1878-81)

| December 21st, 2009 | Posted in Finances |

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