No struggle, no progress

There was a powerful speech made in 1857 which reflected the attitude of many across the country as the shadow of the civil war was starting to take center stage in American history. Let me highlight a few quotes from the speaker:
"The general sentiment of mankind is that a man who will not fight for himself, when he has the means of doing so, is not worth being fought for by others, and this sentiment is just. For a man who does not value freedom for himself will never value it for others, or put himself to an inconvenience to gain it for others....The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle...It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. The want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters."
It was a most incredible speech and I could go on about various points the speaker was making. But before I tell you the speaker, let's look at a potential application different than the one he had in mind in 1857.
We all know what we must do to move forward, whether it is your life, church or job. Solutions are not hidden. The will to act is. Many of us would rather sit by and hope things change instead of acting in the direction we fill led.
We say we want our church to grow, but in reality, we only want it to grow if it does not affect us in anyway. Everyone is free to be different as long as it is the same.
Someone in the past made the difficult decisions and difficult actions necessary for us to be blessed today. We need to make some choices for others today. I want to be planting trees for those in the future to enjoy.
The speaker was Frederick Douglass. He was speaking of freedom for all people. I am speaking of how God wants to work in your life and mine. We must be a willing tool in His hand. He accepts nothing less.
Jim