Author: John Page 76 of 164

Matthew 20:26-28 “But it shall not be so among you:  but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

As the American Continental Army set up winter camp at Valley Forge, they realized that its harsh location was a necessary evil.  General Washington acknowledged their difficult situation in his General Orders from December 17, 1777: “These considerations make it indispensably necessary for the army to take such a position, as will enable it most effectually to prevent distress & to give the most extensive security; and in that position we must make ourselves the best shelter in our power—With activity and diligence Huts may be erected that will be warm and dry—In these the troops will be compact, more secure against surprises than if in a divided state and at hand to protect the country.”

As they would “endure hardships” as a part of “the sacred cause in which they [were] engaged”, he made them an important and noble promise:  “He himself will share in the hardship, and partake of every inconvenience.”  He would live among them.  He would face the difficult conditions alongside of them.  He would not ask them to do anything that he would not do himself.

In writing these words as a part of his General Order, he brilliantly and sacrificially codified servant leadership.

As Christians in America today, we must practice a form of leadership different from that of the world.  We must not use our positions to gain, but to spend and invest.  We must not use our positions to be served, but to serve.  We must not use our positions to gain glory and honor, but to deflect glory and honor.  We must be willing to share in the hardships of those other servant leaders among us and to partake in every inconvenience.  In doing so, we will harness the type of leadership that General Washington so powerfully practiced and that Christ so vividly modeled.

PLEASE PRAY FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY TO FOLLOW THE LEADERSHIP MODEL OF OUR FOREFATHERS AND OUR SAVIOUR.  By sharing in the hardships of those around us, we provide a powerful reminder of the amazing sacrifice of Christ.

Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

In the midst of the trials of Valley Forge, General George Washington retained his firm reliance on God’s plan and power.  In a letter to his friend Reverend Bryan Fairfax, Washington described his thoughts about the hardships they endured during that brutal winter:

“The determinations of Providence are always wise, often inscrutable; and, though its decrees appear to bear hard upon us at times, is nevertheless meant for gracious purposes.”

General Washington knew that God was always wise, though His ways were sometimes difficult to understand.  He acknowledged that in spite of the harsh conditions that surround us, God’s purposes were gracious.  Our circumstances would work together for good.  And in the end, even the worst sufferings of today would be ultimately drowned out by the glory which should be revealed in us.

It is this firm grip on faith in the Lord that enabled General Washington to lead his soldiers with hope, optimism, purpose, and destiny.  This faith allowed Washington to endure hardships and setbacks without withdrawing or wavering.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AN ENDURING FAITH THAT RELINQUISHES CONTROL TO GOD IN ALL OF LIFE’S CIRCUMSTANCES.  God’s decrees are meant for gracious purposes.

Romans 5:3-5 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:  knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:  he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

The days, the weeks, and the months at Valley Forge tested the endurance of the American Continental Army.  General Washington wrote the following about their conditions, their constitution, and their character:

“For without arrogance or the smallest deviation from truth it may be said, that no history now extant can furnish an instance of an army’s suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done, and bearing them with the same patience and fortitude. To see men, without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes, by which their marches might be traced by blood from their feet, and almost as often without provisions as with them, marching through frost and snow, and at Christmas taking up their Winter Quarters within a day’s march of the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them till they could be built, and submitting to it without a murmur, is a mark of patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be paralleled.”

It is easy for us to consider the challenges of our day as unprecedented and unparalleled.  It is easy to grow weary because we are overwhelmed by the burdens we carry.  We easily forget that our predecessors faithfully carried burdens, and those burdens sometimes make ours look mild by comparison.  Our Savior certainly did.

We are to be encouraged by the faithful fortitude of our forefathers.  Their tribulations created patience, endurance, experience, and hope.  We should harness their hope, and more importantly their source of hope, to help us through our times today.

PLEASE PRAY FOR PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE IN HANDLING OUR DAILY CHALLENGES.  Our forefathers’ endurance could scarce be paralleled, but their source of hope is readily available for us today.

I Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:  and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”

Two-hundred and forty years ago, the American Continental Army spent the long, cold, harsh winter in Valley Forge twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia.  The winter of 1777-1778 was a pivotal one for the revolutionary cause in America, and is rich with lessons for Christians today.  It will be the topic of the next several PLUS posts, as we consider the powerful example and lessons of our courageous and visionary forefathers.

In order to professionalize the untrained military force at Valley Forge, General Washington brought in the Prussian battle-tested soldier Baron Friedrich von Steuben.  Upon seeing the force early on in his tenure, von Steuben commented that “with respect to military discipline, I may safely say that no such thing existed in the Continental Army.”  Baron von Steuben would be the Continental Army’s Inspector General and even in the harsh conditions of Valley Forge, the Americans invested their time in learning military tactics and developing into a professional force.  By the time they left their winter encampment, the Americans were trained and disciplined soldiers.

Baron von Steuben made an interesting observation about the American soldiers as compared to the others around the world:  “You say to your soldier, ‘do this’ and he does it.  But I am obliged to say to the American, ‘This is why you ought to do this’ and then he does it.”  He saw the need to be ready to give an answer to every American soldier when asked ‘why’?  Once armed with an understanding and motivation, Americans were an unmatched force.

American Christians today, in accordance with God’s Word, need be to ready to always give an answer to every man about our hopefulness.  We are to answer why we are hopeful.  We are to answer why we are faithful.  We are to answer why we are steadfast.  We are to answer why we are principled.  We are to answer why we are humble.  We are to answer why we are filled with conviction.  We are to answer why we are filled with joy.  We are to answer by directing attention away from ourselves and to the source of all our strength.  Doing so will provide understanding and motivation that can make us an unmatched force.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD BE READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER FOR THE HOPE THAT IS IN US.  Be ready to say, ‘this is why’.

I Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

In light of the environment of despair and hopelessness that surrounds us, we must first steel ourselves against it.  We must resist it, rebuff it, and repeal it.  With all of the attention, passion, and energy that remains, we must edify and exhort others.  After all, they are facing the same thing.

As Christians, we must show the love of Christ by our positive attitudes and our uplifting demeanors.  We must encourage others with our hopefulness.  We must warn those around us about the dangerous cycle of despair.  We must urgently appeal to the inner desire of everyone to see a future that is brighter than the challenges of today.  After all, the fingerprints of a hopeful God are embedded in each of us.  His intent is for everyone to counter discouragement, sorry, misery, and pain through a firm reliance upon Him.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD INVEST OUR LIVES TO UPLIFT OTHERS FOR CHRIST.  After all, God has charged us to edify one another.  Let us do so!