Quotes That Inspire

Ever since a girl that I knew told me about some of her favorite historical quotes, I’ve held at least some interest in the inspiring words of past peoples.

  Ever since a girl that I knew told me about some of her favorite historical quotes, I’ve held at least some interest in the inspiring words of past peoples.

  I know, I know. That makes this post sound like it’s going to be a coffee shop decorating scheme, with sayings like, “I cannot espresso how much you bean to me,” or other coffee puns printed all through it. 

  As much as that thought makes me smile – no, I’m not talking about coffee-shop-style quotes, or even about t-shirt type sayings about atoms making up everything. 

  Instead, I’m talking about statements like, “Accustom yourself to look first to the dreadful consequences of failure; then fix your eye on the glorious prize which is before you; and when your strength begins to fail, and your spirits are well nigh exhausted, let the animating view rekindle your resolution, and call forth in renewed vigor the fainting energies of your soul.”

  If the internet can sometimes be believed, William Wilberforce said that. Likely pulling on his own personal experiences, speaking as a sort of a conscience for the British parliament and society. Calling for the abolition of the slave trade. Commanding those who called themselves Christians to change how they lived, to care for widows and orphans, to stand up and to fight against the injustices of their societies. 

  Radical-sounding statements in the late 1700s and early nineteenth century.

  With all of that said, Wilberforce has long been one of my heroes – someone I wish to be like in some way. That admiration probably started with an only partially accurate movie portrayal of him, but has survived through me learning a few more facts about him. Among those facts, here are some that I find interesting:

  Wilberforce (who was usually called “Wilber”) only ever grew to be 5’3”, and was underweight and sickly for most of his life (once, as an adult he hit a low of 76 lb). He is known to have said that if he had lived in a less ‘modern’ century that he might not have survived. 

  Still, from a young age he had a marvelous voice and a captivating manner of speaking. By the time he was 21, he was in Parliament. By the age of 24, his best friend had become Prime Minister. And at 26 he met his ‘Great Change.’

  God had reached down with conviction, mercy, and transformation, and forever changed the course of the popular, accomplished, scattered William Wilberforce’s life. 

  From then on until his sixties, Wilberforce’s choices reflected this great change, and by the end of that life – nearly blind, with a bent spine, elfish in size, but full of wit and boldness – though he lamented what he had not done, what he had done was more than most of us dare to dream of doing. 

  He had finally, finally seen the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, after about twenty years of heartbreak and fighting. And three days before his death, in 1833, he heard the momentous news of the abolition of slavery itself in the British Empire. 

  Additionally, Wilberforce did not content himself with one great object of his energies. He also spent a great deal of time beginning, supporting, or having a hand in social reforms, some of the attitudes and effects of which can still be felt today.

  I have a number of heroes from history: people who stood for something that I admire, or displayed qualities that I wish I were blessed with. It is fitting, I suppose, that as a writer, I am drawn to real-life stories about such things. Thus, I find it helpful to occasionally remind myself to go in search of things that those people said, and find inspiration, comfort, or challenge in their perspectives. The different centuries and circumstances that those people lived in give me a wider view of how Jesus’ example can be lived out, not just confined to two thousand years ago and a dusty Mediterranean nation. 

  And I want to share some of that with you. 

  So I’ll close with one more quote, from a book that Wilberforce wrote called, “Real Christianity”:

  “It makes no sense to take the name of Christian and not cling to Christ. Jesus is not some magic charm to wear like a piece of jewelry we think will give us good luck. He is our Lord. His name is to be written on our hearts in such a powerful way that it creates within us a profound experience of His peace and a heart that is filled with His praise.”

  Now put that on the wall of your coffee shop. 

   Thank you for enjoying this post from Mountain Chickadee! If this made you smile and you’d like to see more in the coming weeks, please consider subscribing to my Substack!