The fruit of Spurgeon’s humility was a reliance upon prayer. Seeing our sin in light of God’s infinite power and holiness leads to an acute awareness of our humble state, which leads to reliance upon prayer. Spurgeon’s life is a testimony to this golden chain of Christian humility.
I recently finished Arnold Dallimore’s biography of Charles Spurgeon, the Baptist preacher known as the “Prince of Preachers.” If you’re familiar at all with Spurgeon, you’ve likely heard about how gifted of an orator he was or how effective he was as an evangelist. While those traits certainly did characterize his life and ministry, there are two other traits that struck me as I read through the biography.
Profound Humility
Charles Spurgeon had notoriety in this world that few, if any, pastors have ever experienced. He preached before millions of men and women, had his sermons circulated across multiple continents, and trained up an army of pastors who viewed him much like a spiritual father. In addition, the Baptist minister earned a fortune through the sales of his writings and the income generated by his speaking engagements.
Many pastors have drunk deeply from the poisonous springs of arrogance with far less popularity and influence than that of Spurgeon. Yet, the sense that I get from reading about Spurgeon’s life is not hubris, but a deep-seated humility.
