No reform can happen unless someone makes an effort to change the status quo.
At the time of the American Revolution, a contentious debate was going on about the form of government the new nation should have. There were the federalists and the anti-federalists. The two sides were sometimes brutal in the way they spoke to, or about, each other.
Underneath it all, however, was another more emotional argument. Would the principles of freedom enshrined in the republican government be extended to the slaves? Most realized that the debate could not come out into the open, else it would jeopardize the fragile republic. Deep down, though, they all knew there was an underlying division over slavery. James Madison commented that among the founding fathers of our nation, the division was not based on the fear of larger states dominating the smaller ones, but on the issue of slavery—essentially, the North versus the South.
Those who believed that reform concerning slavery was necessary knew that they could not bring the issue into discussion, because the majority was not ready for it. They sensed that they were part of a larger destiny which would eventually give rise to the reforms they thought necessary. So it was left to simmer in the gradually increasing light shed by the principles of the free republic. Initially, the Bill of Rights extended only to the free man, but the underlying question became starker with each passing year.
Not until the approach of the Civil War would national reform in regard to the question of slavery be confronted. It was the same surface argument between the federalists and the anti-federalists, with the same undercurrent on the question of slavery. Even then, many reformers felt that the southern states weren’t ready for the reform. But at some point someone had to take a stand! Someone had to lead out in reform. And that man was Abraham Lincoln. Under his leadership, slavery would eventually be abolished. No reform can happen unless someone makes an effort to change the status quo. True, timing matters; reformers need to be careful not to move too quickly. However, at some point action is necessary, or essential reforms will not be accomplished. Knowing the opportune time to take a stand requires spiritual discernment. Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, reformers can agitate the issues either too early or too late, and thereby fail to achieve their aims.
Those who successfully work for reform are often initially blamed for any ensuing conflict. Heroes are made of reformers who sacrifice their reputations, their assets, and sometimes even their lives, to press for reform at the right time. What a lesson!
We are at the end of time. Can you think of any reforms that our people need? The issues are ripening, and truth is being trampled all around. It’s time to take a stand for the truth in the fear of God, and with a sense of destiny.
