article by site founder, Connie Rice
It makes me sad when I hear kids, teens, or adults saying that history is boring or that they are not interested in learning about dead men. To be fair, history is not always taught in ways that engage the student. They may not realize that learning about the past allows us to see how people have overcome difficult circumstances, which can inspire us. It also helps us to recognize that all people, no matter when they lived, share some of the same struggles that we do. We have more in common with them than we might have previously thought. In addition, learning from the mistakes and accomplishments of the past can help us to better understand the present and help us work toward a better future, both on a personal level and on a societal level. Below are some quotes from people who recognized the importance of studying history.
“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
Winston Churchill from a 1948 speech before House of Commons
“A nation that forgets its past can function no better than an individual with amnesia.”
David McCullough
“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
George Orwell
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey
“In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind.”
Edmund Burke
Of course, as a Christian, I’m interested in seeing how God has worked throughout human history. In reading the Bible, we see how He worked in the lives of the people and nations represented in Scripture. We learn that He is always working, in our time as well as in biblical times. In the book of Hebrews, we are given a list of the “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives are honored for their obedience to God. Since Bible times, many amazing people of faith provide us with additional examples of how God has worked through them. We see that the efforts of believers have affected the world in many positive ways, sometimes at great personal cost and sacrifice. These include people from all walks of life. Some of the greatest scientists of all time were motivated by their faith to discover what God had made. You can find lists of them here and here. Here are just a few from recent history:
Isaac Newton (1642-1726/27) – mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, & author: “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
Werner von Braun, rocket scientist (1912-1977): “My experiences with science led me to God. They challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?”
Raymond Damadian, inventor of the MRI machine (1936-2022): from an ICR article: “‘[I understand] what the Apostle Paul calls the renewed mind. Out of a mind renewed by Jesus came the obvious. How could a scientist achieve his goal of discovering the absolute truths that govern the natural world without the blessing of the Author of those truths? For me now the true thrill of science is the search to understand a small corner of God’s grand design, and to lay the glory for such discoveries at the Grand Designer’s feet’. He credits God for his work that continues to save countless lives saved through accurate diagnoses.”
Henry Richter, designed & developed first earth satellite for JPL/NASA (1927): from CREV article: “I didn’t find that relationship [with Jesus Christ] in my life until I was past the age of 40, but I am ever so thankful that I did, because now I have a personal bond with the Creator of the universe! All those amazing designs I saw in nature now make sense. I have a purpose in life. I’m heaven bound.”
I’m presently putting together a series on the biblical roots of the U.S. Constitution and as I go through founding documents, quotes of founding fathers, and details of how our country began – it is plain to see that our founders were motivated by their faith, that they acknowledged God’s sovereignty over the affairs of men and nations, and that they focused less on their personal benefit and more on posterity (generations down the road). Their goal and sacrificial efforts were to create a government that would honor God and protect the rights of all citizens to worship freely and plan their own future, government that believed the rights of citizens were from God and that the purpose of government was to protect those rights. Everyone has a bias based on their own experiences and what they have learned, so it is always best to go to source documents and quotes whenever possible. The faith, courage, and sacrifice of our American founders should always be remembered. Just a few of the quotes of some of our founding fathers include:
“Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light and labored in its hope.”
Daniel Webster, U.S. Senator, Secretary of State, & Defender of “Constitution”
“And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”
Benjamin Franklin, Signer of Declaration of Independence & U. S. Constitution, Pennsylvania Governor, diplomat, printer, & scientist
“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
George Washington, 1st U.S. President, Member of Continental Congress, Commander-in-Chief of Continental Army, President of Constitutional Convention, & judge
“And can the liberties of a nation be though secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are of the gift of God?”
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President, signer of Declaration of Independence,
“All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”
Noah Webster, author of the 1828 “American Dictionary of the English Language”
Unlike our founding fathers, others in history sought to gain power and control, even to the point of murdering their own citizens. There were numerous examples throughout history of people being treated poorly and even being killed by their leaders. Sadly, during the 20th Century, there was tremendous bloodshed with two world wars. Most know about the holocaust under Adolf Hitler (fascist dictator in Germany) and Mussolini (fascist dictator in Italy), but many do not know how they came to power. This is important to understand. People under communist rule in different parts of the world do not have personal liberty or freedom of speech or freedom of religion and poverty rates are very high. Countries that became communist nations in the 20th Century include Soviet Union (under Josef Stalin), China (under Mao Tse-Tung), Cuba (under Fidel Castro), Venezuela (under Hugo Chavez), North Korea (Kim Jong Un), Vietnam, Cambodia, countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. The image below from Researchgate.net shows that about 100 million deaths resulted from Communism:
The stories of missionaries and people of God can encourage and inspire us as well and show us how God worked in and through each of their lives. There is a partial list on this site on the Inspirational Christians page under History. Unfortunately, many of the biographies written about people in history have had their faith gleaned out, leaving the reader to think their accomplishments were entirely out of their own strength and wisdom. For a number of them, this is not the case. Books that include the faith of people in history can be found on this site on the Judeo-Christian history books page under History. There are also a number of great resources for older kids on the Resources for preteens page under Leaders (scroll down to Christian History). Below are just a small sampling of incredible people of God not already included in this post:
Martin Luther (1483-1546) – priest, theologian, author: “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”
John Bunyan (1628-1688) – author of “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, preacher: “I will stay in prison till the moss grows on my eye lids rather than disobey God.”
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – composer: “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
George Whitefield (1714-1770) – preacher of the Great Awakening in America: “God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them.:
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) – author: “Remember!—It is Christianity to do good always—even to those who do evil to us. It is Christianity to love our neighbor as ourself, and to do to all men as we would have them Do to us. It is Christianity to be gentle, merciful, and forgiving, and to keep those qualities quiet in our own hearts, and never make a boast of them, or of our prayers or of our love of God, but always to shew that we love him by humbly trying to do right in everything.“
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) – nurse during American Civil War “God called me in the morning and asked me would I do good for him alone, without reputation?”
Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) – missionary to China: “Carrying the cross does mean following in Jesus’ footsteps. And in His footsteps are rejection, brokenheartedness, persecution and death. There are not two Christs – an easy going one for easy going Christians, and a suffering one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are we willing to follow His lead?”
Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) – powerful preacher, evangelist (personally baptized over 15,000 new believers): “Do I live as carelessly and worldly as unbelievers while professing to be a follower of Jesus? If so, I am exposing Christianity to ridicule and leading people to speak evil of the holy name by which I am called.”
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) – author, atheist turned Christian apologist: “Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us… While what we call ‘our own life’ remains agreeable, we will not surrender it to Him. What, then, can God do in our interests but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible sources of false happiness?”
Gladys Aylward (1902-1970) – missionary to China who walked over 100 children through mountains for weeks away from war: “Oh God, here’s my Bible, Here’s my money. Here’s me. Use me, God.”
Billy Graham -(1918-2018) evangelist: “Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don’t be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do.:
The importance of learning history cannot be understated. Without recognizing past mistakes and successes, we really are doomed to repeat devastating events. For believers, learning history and the stories of those who have gone before us can challenge us to live in a way that helps us discover the individual Kingdom work that God has placed on each of our lives. When we surrender fully to the Lord, obeying Him and trusting in His plan, He equips us for whatever He would have us do. That is where we find the peace and strength that is not found in this world while adding purpose and meaning to our lives in the process. It is also where we can accomplish God-sized tasks through the power of the Holy Spirit that have a positive impact on those around us and the world, while giving all glory to God!
© Constance Rice 2024
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