The Shoulders of Giants

Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”  This phrase is often used to describe intellectual pursuits where new knowledge is gained based on the discoveries of those who have gone before.  In the spiritual realm, there are also giants of the faith who have gone before.  Their lives shine a bright light, mark the path clearly, and provide inspiration for those of us who follow.

I love biographies.  Especially stories of people whose radical faith has impacted the world around them.    I am currently reading ”The Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot” written by his wife Elisabeth Elliot.  Jim was one of 5 christian missionaries martyred in the Equadorian jungle by the native tribe they were trying to reach with the gospel.  Their story is also told in another wonderful work by Elisabeth Elliot, “Through the Gates of Splendor”.    Both of these books are a life changing read.  I encourage you to read them.

Jim once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot loose. (p 144)“ What an amazing statement from a 22 year old young man whose life was completely devoted to God.

I will quote here from “The Shadow of the Almighty” as it is recorded from Jim’s personal journal:

One does not surrender life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime. Nor is surrender to the will of God (per se) adequate to fullness of power in Christ.  Maturity is the accomplishment of years, and I can only surrender to the will of God as I know what that will is.  Hence, the fullness of the Sprit is not instantaneous but progressive, as I attain fullness of the Word, which reveals the Will.If men were filled with the Sprit they would not write books on that subject, but on the Person whom the Spirit has come to reveal. Occupation with Christ is God’s object (p 121-122).

And the following one-sentance journal entry that was his prayer:  “Lord, give me firmness without hardness, steadfastness without dogmatism, love without weakness. (p 148)”

These tiny bits from Jim Elliot’s life are profound.  There are many more.

So often, the only examples set before us are those who have risen to power and fame.  Glamorous lives are plastered on magazine covers and their images broadcast into our homes.  Watching them leads one to believe that our heroes ought to be self-made, self-driven, and self-determined.  We are told that success is gained by winning power, money, and fame.  Selfishness is a virtue and arrogance a skill.  These lives are displayed as the example of the ultimate in American achievement.

I want to encourage you to look outside of the mainstream for lives of those who you admire not for their glamor, their fame, or their self-indugence.  Find those whose lives mirror the person you want to be, who had a purpose beyond themselves, whose desire was to seek and honor God not themselves.

Read their stories and be encouraged.  Draw inspiration.  Learn from their example.  Look for similarities and differences.  See how God works in our time and our day.  In short, stand on their shoulders.  Below are a few of the giants who have inspired me and the books that tell their stories.

• Shadow of the Almighty:  The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot
• Through the Gates of Splendor
• George Muller:  Delighted in God
• The Hiding Place : The life of Corrie Ten Boom, a christian interned in a Nazi concentration camp for helping Jews
• Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II : The experiences of missionary Darlene Deibler Rose
• Charles G. Finney Autobiography, the complete text available online here.  Finney was a revivalist preacher in the 1800′s.
• Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Heart of His People : The story of Jim Cymbala and the phenomenal Brooklyn Tabernacle

No related posts.