The Lord Jesus told His disciples in Luke 14:27 – whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Those who walk with Christ will have their faith tested by trials and sufferings. His faith was going to be tried in such a way that (according to him) if he had not been a Christian, he would have committed suicide. What happened?
After his time and conversion in Oxford, he considered being a lawyer and even thought of joining politics. However, his love and sense of duty to the family turned him to consider the family businesses, which he will inherit in the future. John Ryle Junior allowed his son to be involved in the family business although not as a business partner, but merely a helper to his father. Even though he was one of the most eligible young bachelors in the county, but he wisely shunned all attempts at finding a companion even though his father gave him financial incentive to do so.
Ryle’s parents tolerated his new found faith, although there is now a clear distance and awkwardness between them, as it was with his believing sister, Susan. At home, he would take family prayers for a few of his siblings and house workers, and occasionally visit the sick. As a result of his inward changes (declining worldly entertainment), he lost many of his friends and was considered a loner and a recluse by his former friends. However, God strengthened him with a few close Christian friends who became his examples and counsellors in his time of need.
In June 1841, everything changed in the Ryle family: ‘We got up one summer’s morning with all the world before us as usual, and went to bed that night completely and entirely ruined.’ The bank which his father owned collapsed financially and everything the family had was to be sold up to meet the creditors’ demands. He admitted that the fault of this collapse was mostly because of his father’s attitude of not being discerning and not denying any potential call for loans from personal friends and relatives, even though they were of dubious origin. The only thing that they had left was his mother’s dowry (what she brought into the family at marriage), their clothes and some personal items. The house was sold and the workers dismissed. The whole family was in a disarray, with many of them going their separate ways as they tried to survive this heavy blow. J.C. Ryle thought his whole world was coming to an end. He knew what it meant to be ‘rejected’ by the world when many of his past well-to-do acquaintances shut their doors to them, and treated him like a ‘dog’.
Even though J.C. Ryle was not a partner in the business, he felt that he could not allow his father to suffer alone in repaying back the money owed. Many did not know until after his death that he lived in a very simple and humble way as he consistently paid from whatever income he has for his father’s debt. Over the years, many had wondered why this faithful and well-supported minister of God would wear worn out clothes and lived in such simple manner. This truth only came to light after Ryle’s death.
God weans His children from dependency to the world, especially those who want to serve Him fervently. When we think we are able to accomplish much by our own provision, God will often (if not, always) bring about circumstances that leads us to rely solely upon His Grace.