Nothing Too Precious

Sometimes, one little sentence can hold a world of challenge and inspiration, especially if that sentence distills the essence of the man who spoke it. We know very little about F.S. Parker. It is difficult to even piece together the life of an obscure man in the late 1800s and yet the short statement he made to a small group of Christians in 1888 has become a treasure to me as a Christian and as a father.

F.S. Parker had a little mission hall in Pittsfield, Massachusetts where he ministered alongside his wife and his daughter, Susie. Susie was an only child, but did not seem to be spoiled by it. She grew up hearing the stories of Jesus but was also constantly reminded, by involvement with the mission hall, that Jesus calls us to love others in His name. Over the years, she became convinced of both the tremendous price that Jesus paid to purchase our souls and the heart Jesus had for those who were not yet saved. There was a genuineness about her faith that showed up when it was time to help around the house or prepare something for an outreach service at the mission hall. So it was not surprising that when the opportunity came to hear renowned missionary Hudson Taylor speak about the spiritual needs of China, she eagerly went.

It was Hudson Taylor's first trip to the United States, and the very beginning of what would become the North American arm of the China Inland Mission. Taylor's words stirred 26 year old Susie's heart and, along with several others, she offered herself to the Lord as a missionary on behalf of China. Preparations were made, training was done, and soon this first group of North Americans to join Hudson Taylor's mission had gathered for a "send off" service.

To quote from a biography of Hudson Taylor,

"The father of a dear girl in the party, Miss Susie Parker, had come over from Pittsfield, Mass., and was sitting near the platform. Seeing a wonderful light on his face, Mr. Taylor invited him to say a few words...He told us with a father's feelings, what his daughter had been in the home, to him and to her mother; what she had been in the mission-hall in which he worked, and something of what it meant to part with her now.

`But I could only feel,' he said, 'that I have nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus. He has asked for my very best ; and I give, with all my heart, my very best to Him.'"

"Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus" The words have stirred me often and form an irrefutable answer to every objection that my flesh raises when a new cost is asked of me regarding my commitment to Christ.

"But I'm not sure I can live without that little pet sin!" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

"But I don't feel ready to take on this ministry responsibility that's being asked of me!" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

"But I'm already so busy. How can I really be expected to spend significant time in prayer for the lost and for the world?" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

"But I'm scared to share the gospel with people – what if I'm rejected?" —Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.

Mr. Taylor shares further,

"That sentence was the richest thing I got in America, and has been an untold blessing to me ever since. Sometimes when pressed with correspondence the hour has come for united prayer, and the thought has arisen, ought I not to go on with this or that matter? Then it has come back to me-' Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus.' The correspondence has been left to be cared for afterwards, and one has had the joy of fellowship unhindered. Sometimes waking in the morning, very weary, the hour has come for hallowed communion with the Lord alone ; and there is no time like the early morning for getting the harp in tune for the music of the day. Then it has come again'Nothing too precious for my Lord Jesus,' and one has risen to find that there is no being tired with Him. That thought also has been a real help to me when leaving my loved ones in England. Indeed, I could never tell how many hundreds of times God has given me a blessing through those words."

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." -Matthew 13:44

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The quotes above are taken from the book Hudson Taylor & The China Inland Mission: The Growth of A Work Of God. Many other encouraging books are also available to read online here.