1 of 1

Key Bible Verse: Our confident expectation … will not disappoint us (Romans 5:4-5). Bonus Reading:Romans 15:18-22

William Wilberforce, elected at age 21 to the 18th century House of Commons, was so short his detractors called him a shrimp. But his vision was huge.

1. He saw the problem, one "invisible" to most. The relatively few slaves in England were mostly domestic servants. Wilberforce never peered into the hold of a slave ship or observed the brutality of plantation gang slavery. But he envisioned the slaves' suffering and terror.
2. He saw the possibility. Some don't believe things can ever change. Wilberforce believed that ending the slave trade and emancipating slaves was attainable. He persevered in Parliament for 45 years, confident of God's support as he opposed human oppression.
3. He worked to make his vision reality. Wilberforce studied, wrote, petitioned, and enlisted others for research and fact-finding expeditions. He lobbied the prime minister to investigate the slave trade. He spent weeks rigorously preparing for debates.

In 1807 the slave trade was abolished in the English empire. Slavery itself was abolished in 1833-hours before Wilberforce's death, and 30 years before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

—David Vaughan in Statesman and Saint

My Response: What vision captures my imagination?

Thought to Apply: Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized.

—Daniel Burnham (architect, 19th century)

Adapted from: Statesman and Saint (Cumberland, 2002) by permission

Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

 1 of 1

share this page

Prayer for the Week

Dear God, grant me the resolve to make the changes needed to become a man of influence for You.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter (All fields required)    RSS Feed   RSS Help