Volume 29, No.29                                               
July 25, 2004

A Leading Example

   True leaders know that going first and putting yourself first are not the same thing.  Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is a case in point.

   When the American Civil War broke out, Chamberlain quit his job as a college professor and joined the Union army as a Lt. Colonel.  He was courageous and utterly committed, rising steadily to the rank of Brigadier General.  In 24 major battles, including the pivotal one at Gettysburg, Chamberlain fought with legendary bravery.  He was wounded six times.  Six horses were shot out from under him.  And still, he insisted on leading each charge himself.

   On March 29, 1865, a Confederate bullet went through the neck of Chamberlain’s horse, ricocheted off the general’s arm and slammed into his chest, just below the heart.  The shot probably would’ve killed him, except it was deflected by a pocket mirror.  Chamberlain was knocked unconscious.

   When he came to, the commander was disgusted to see some of his troops retreating.  Bleeding heavily, Chamberlain grabbed his sword and charged the enemy.  Shocked, shaken or shamed into action, his fleeing men abandoned their retreat and joined the charge, turning the tide and winning the battle.

   At the end of the war, the victorious Union army rewarded General Chamberlain for his bravery by appointing him to receive the formal surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox.  He went on to serve four terms as Governor of the state of Maine and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour in 1893.

   Still, Joshua Chamberlain was largely forgotten.  There’s no statue of him at Gettysburg and few historians study his military campaigns.  That would’ve been okay with him.  Great leaders worry about thecause.  The merely good ones worry about the credit.  "We do not live for self,”  Chamberlain once told his fellow soldiers. “We’re part of a larger life reaching before and after, judged not by deeds done in the body but in the soul. We wish to be remembered. Willing to die, we are not willing to be forgotten.”  

   We.  It’s perhaps the most important word in a spiritual leader’s vocabulary.  The leader and the Lord.  The leader and the led.  We, not I.  Good leaders inspire others to have confidence in them.  Great leaders inspire others to have confidence in themselves.  Godly leaders inspire others to have confidence in Him.

   And make no mistake, every Christian is called to leadership of some kind.  When it comes to Christ-like character and conduct, we must lead the charge, without looking back to see who’s following or how many are with us.  Expect your horse to get shot out from under you.  Expect to be wounded, deeply.  But also expect victory.

   When the enemy aims for your heart, you’ll be a lot safer if you protect it with the all-revealing mirror of God’s Word.  Inspired scripture is extremely powerful because it can “teach us what’s true and make us realize what’s wrong in our lives,” says the apostle Paul.  “It straightens us out and teaches us to do what’s right.  It’s God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipping us for every good thing He wants us to do.” (2 Tim. 3:16,17)

   Just don’t be surprised if He equips you to go first, regardless of the cost.  That’s because each of us is a Chamberlain.  The name means “one who manages the affairs of a Sovereign.”   Entrusted with the Lord’s work, we must put courage before convenience and sacrifice above safety, regardless of the risks, or even the results. It won’t be easy. In fact, we’ll sometimes find ourselves fighting what seems to be a lost cause while others run in the other direction.

   Even so, a courageous, just-like-Jesus example is often enough to inspire others to turn and tip the balance of the battle.  Guts and godliness is a powerful combination and — if we’ll use it — we, too, will one day have the privilege of witnessing the enemy’s final surrender.  No one will erect monuments to our bravery, but that’s alright.  We do not live for self.  We’re part of a larger life, reaching before and after.  Willing to die, we will not be forgotten.

By Rick Gamble, published in Cross Current, the weekly newsletter of the Followers of Christ congregation in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.  Reprint at will in not-for-profit publications.  To subscribe to this free, weekly article, contact sgamble@bfree.on.ca