A Man And His Moment: Does It Happen Or Do We Make It Happen?
by on Nov 3rd, 2010 at 12:35 am
As a student of history, I am surprised at how often the great moments or movements in history are born from the faithfulness and not the ambition of man.
This past Sunday, Christians had reason to celebrate as we marked the 493rd anniversary of Martin Luther’s launch of the Reformation. Of course, the dirty little secret is that Martin Luther didn’t nail his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church doors with the intention of launching a new denomination or religious movement. He was a man who saw inconsistencies with Scripture and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, and he sought to bring a correction to that disparity. Ideally, the church would have responded to Luther by making the necessary corrections and he would not have to leave Roman Catholicism. In other words, the revolution he started was accidental (from a human perspective). He was just trying to be faithful to Scripture and was eventually pushed to the point of no return.
Luther’s “moment,” which still reverberates throughout the world today, was not the result of a man’s ambition to “be something.” He is not alone among the great influencers of Christian history. Augustine made the mistake of attending a single church service in the North African city of Hippo when the church appointed him to pastoral ministry. Augustine, the great pastor/bishop of Hippo, is known for his faithful administration of a ministry that he did not seek and only hesitantly accepted out of a desire to be faithful to God and His people.
John Calvin, the Reformed theologian and pastor who remains either loved or hated by professing Christians to this day, contained only the ambition to be lost in a library of books. However, he made the mistake of spending the night in Geneva, Switzerland, where, long story short, he was appointed to pastor the people there despite his reluctance to be a public figure. His contributions to Christian thought still influence our world today.
The stories could continue, especially if I expand the range of historical influence beyond the pulpit to missions, politics, the military, and society at-large. Yet, my point is to demonstrate that God often uses people’s most significant historical contributions despite their ambitions, not in line with them. Their “moment” did not arrive in the form they predicted or at the time they expected, but they were ready for it even if it frightened them.
What Luther, Augustine, and Calvin had in common was a willingness to be directed by God long before they entered into their momentous seasons. They endured what J. Oswald Sanders, in his book Spiritual Leadership, called, “hidden training” (Sanders 1994, 29). They didn’t chase fame or significance, but welcomed insignificance so long as it included a relationship with God. It was God who had different plans for them.
Growing up as a young man in America is challenging because our culture is obsessed with significance and applauds ambition. I have to admit that even I have counseled young men to make their career goals clear in their resumes. “I know the plans I have for me,” declares the American male. We all dream of being the man of the moment, but are we allowing God to secretly train us for His purposes now? Perhaps, God will usher us into influence for this generation or the ones to come. Perhaps, God will have us to be known only to a few, but faithful obscurity is still worth more than self-determined popularity.
So, as you hear the “victory” stories of “great” Christians, both past and present, remember that many never sought “greatness,” and most were placed in situations of such intense pressure only after years of passing their “hidden training.” Remember that their clinging to Christ was the secret to their influence and fruitfulness, not a self-made game plan (a.k.a vision) for their lives. Remember that, for many who shined in their “moment,” death was the means of their shining. Finally, remember that their reward is not to hear from Christ, “Well done, thou productive and successful servant.” Being declared good and faithful because of Christ will be reward enough for them and us.
Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer. 3rd edition.
Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.