History Is Always A Great Teacher To Those Who ...

History is always a great teacher to those who want to learn it’s lessons. Abraham Lincoln knew this and one author had this to say about him.

o He was not a born king of men…but a child of the common people, who made himself a great persuader, therefore a leader, by dint of firm resolve, patient effort, and dogged perseverance. He slowly won his way to eminence and fame by doing the work that lay next to him-doing it with all his growing might-doing it as well as he could, and learning by his failure, when failure was encountered, how to do better….He was open to all impressions and influences (including from history and other sources), and gladly profited by the teaching of events and circumstances, no matter how adverse or unwelcome. There was probably no year of his life when he was not a wiser, cooler, and better man than he had been the year preceding (Phillips, 170,171).

o Abraham Lincoln knew that success in life and leadership came by learning from others, from history and from life’s circumstances. Phillips states, “Time after time Lincoln used this method of gathering the evidence he needed to take appropriate action”(21).

o In essence Phillips who studied Lincoln said the man “…actually grew into the job of the presidency”(172).

o We can observe the same about Joseph he actually grew into what God wanted him to become and that was the Prime Minister of Egypt.