Daily Devotion

“If a missionary is unwilling to delve into the ancient wisdom and prejudices of a people, the gospel he preaches will be nothing more than oil floating on water, never truly entering people's blood. We must first become students of the Chinese people before we are qualified to be their teachers; we must first understand their suffering before they will listen to our truth.”

William Milne · Selected Annual Reports of Yinghua College

Scripture

1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I have become weak, in order to be weak. I have become all of myself to all people, so that by all means I might save some.

Reflection

Milne's parable of "floating oil" is a soul-searching question for all those who serve. We often approach service with a sense of superiority, eager to offer answers but stingy with the time to understand the other person's background, prejudices, and struggles. Paul's "be weak" is not a hypocritical imitation, but a complete humility—a willingness to relinquish one's pride for the sake of the gospel. Milne reminds us that if we are unwilling to first become "students" of that culture, to understand the other person's deepest pain, then the gospel we preach will fail to touch the very soul, merely skimming the surface. True service begins with "listening" and "learning." We need to reflect: In my work, family, or relationships, am I "floating" with arrogance? Am I willing, for love, to first kneel down and understand that person's cries?