Wesley and Wilberforce

With the new film Amazing Grace coming out soon about William Wilberforce and the great new biography about him by Eric  Metaxas , Christian media are all abuzz.  Wilberforce, as you probably have heard, work tirelessly for decades (the battle took 46 years!) to see the slave trade abolished in England.  He is a model for Christian statesmanship and advocasy for the oppressed. 

Chuck Colson reminded us recently in his BreakPoint Commentary that even a man of Wilberforce's drive needed encouragement to stay the course.  At at time when he faced discouragment, Wilberforce was reading his Bible and a letter he had kept fell out.  The letter was from the great evangelist John Wesley who knew well what it meant to stay the course.  Reminicient of words from the book of Esther, Wesley reminded Wilberforce that God had raised him up for such a time as this and that if God was for him, who could be against him?

Has God positioned you in some place for some strategic purpose, however big or small?  Is there someone who needs your encouragement to keep his or her hand to the plow?  Do you think about how God may have positioned you in the workplace or home to have a profound impact for his kingdom?