11/26/2019

FOUR HARD LESSONS THE PILGRIMS LEARNED ABOUT SOCIALISM

Before the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Venezuela, socialism was tried right here on American soil and utterly failed. The Pilgrims, who established the first permanent English settlement in New England in the fall of 1620, at first attempted a socialist style of living. They disbanded it, however, when it became obvious that their community could not survive with such a system.
Socialism Forced on Them
The Pilgrim’s journey to America was funded by a group of venture capitalists who provided the ship and supplies for their journey to the New World. In return, the Pilgrims agreed to live communally until the debt, including interest, was paid. Everyone would receive the same recompense for their work, and everything above their basic necessities would go into a common fund to be used to pay their creditors.
In other words, there was no economic inequality. Income produced by farming, fishing, and fur trading was spread around and evenly divided among members of the community. There was only one economic class of people in this system.
William Bradford, who served as governor of Plymouth for many years, told of the challenges of this socialist system and how it almost destroyed their community (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 36-38).
Four hard lessons the Pilgrims learned about socialism were: (1) Socialism destroys initiative; (2) Socialism fosters irresponsibility; (3) Socialism extinguishes hope and generates strife; and (4) Socialism is incompatible with human nature.
Lesson #1
Socialism Destroys Initiative
Under this socialist system, everyone received the same recompense for their work. No matter how hard, or how little, they worked, all received the same income. With no reward tied to their labor, initiative was destroyed, and everyone put forth their least effort.
Why work and dream when you are trapped in a socialist system that mandates equality of outcome for everyone? This socialist system destroyed initiative and almost destroyed the Pilgrim community.
Lesson #2
Socialism Fosters Irresponsibility
Young men, Bradford said, resented getting paid the same as older men when they did so much more of the work. As a result, they tended to slouch and slack since they knew they would receive the same no matter how hard they worked.
Knowing they would receive the same no matter how hard or how little they worked, the women often refused go to the fields to work, complaining of sickness and headaches. To have compelled them to go, Bradford said, would have been considered tyranny and oppression.
With no individual reward tied to their innovation and labor, everyone gave their least effort. Irresponsibility became obvious throughout the community and many became gripped with a sense of hopelessness.
Lesson #3
Socialism Extinguishes Hope and Generates Strife
This socialist system led to a widespread sense of hopelessness. With everyone locked into a closed economic system, there was nothing individuals or families could do to improve their personal lot. Feeling caught in a trap, bickering and strife began to emerge.
The older men, Bradford said, felt they deserved more honor and recompense because of their age and resented getting paid the same as the youngsters in their midst. The young men, on the other hand, resented getting paid the same as the older men when they often did more of the work.
This sense of hopelessness and the ensuing strife drained energy and discouraged innovative thinking and led to very serious complications for the community.
Lesson #4
Socialism is Incompatible with Human Nature
Bradford believed that socialism did not work because it runs counter to human nature as created by God. In Scripture, God rewards individuals for their labor and good works. Capitalism works because it is compatible with the reality of human nature and the world in which we live.
I will never forget visiting eastern Europe shortly after the fall of the Soviet Empire. I was struck by the grey, drab environment. Even the buildings seemed so plain, flat and lackluster.
It was obvious that the Marxist system had robbed the people of life, energy and creativity. I am here reminded of the words of Winston Churchill, “Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”
To Survive, They Had to Change
When it became obvious that lack and perhaps starvation would be their lot, Bradford and the leaders of the colony decided to make a change. After much prayer and discussion, they decided to dispense with that part of the agreement with their creditors that required them to live communally until their debt was paid. In its place, they implemented a free entrepreneurial system that included private ownership of property (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 37).
They Experience the Blessing of Free Enterprise
According to Bradford, they divided the land around them, allotting to each family a certain portion that would be theirs to work and use for their own needs. Bradford said there was an immediate change. The young men began to work much harder because they now knew they would eat the fruit of their own labors.
There were no more complaints from the older men for the same reason. And now the women were seen going into the fields to work, taking the children with them, because they knew they and their family would personally benefit.
Instead of lacking food, each family now grew more food than they needed, and they began to trade with one another for furnishings, clothes and other goods. They also had enough excess to trade with the Indians for furs and other items. In short, the colony began to prosper when they got rid of their socialist form of government and implemented a free, entrepreneurial system.
Of their experience with socialism, Bradford wrote;
This community [socialism] was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort . . . and showed the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s, and applauded by some of later times, that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 38).
Christianity & Capitalism
As Christians, our responsibility is to call people to Christ and help them live out their Christianity in the real world. Living out our Christianity means a life of responsibility, not looking for government hand-outs but working and prospering in a way that we can give a hand-up to those in need.
We desire the best for the greatest number of people which is why we must reject the contemporary vision of a government-mandated socialist system in America.
This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s book, Pilgrims and Patriots, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

WHY YOU SHOULD EXPECT BLESSINGS FROM GOD YOU HAVE NOT EARNED

During a time of prayer early this morning, I was reminded of an encounter with the Lord from many years ago, and I knew I was to share it, especially with our friends and partners. I knew that God wanted to encourage His people to expect great blessings to come our way—blessings we have not earned.
The Story
It was a quiet Sunday morning in September of 1991 on the campus of Zion Bible Institute in Barrington, RI. Students and staff had gone off campus to attend various church services. The campus seemed especially calm and serene that morning, and I decided to take advantage of the tranquil situation by going to the chapel and spending time in prayer.
As I lay on the floor, I presented to God my concern about finances. Sue and I had accepted an offer to teach and write at Zion and had just made the move from Tulsa, OK the previous month. Being a missionary school, Zion paid us $62.50 each per week and provided housing on campus. We were expected to believe God for everything else we would need.
We had been there about a month and it had become obvious that $125.00 per week did not cover the car payment, car insurance, food, toiletries, clothes and all the necessities of a normal life. It was a stressful situation. But as I lay on the floor lifting my concern to the Lord, the words “8/9 and 9/8” were strongly impressed on my mind.
I reached for my Bible and noted that it was lying open at II Corinthians. I then turned and read 8:9, which says,
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (II Cor. 8:9).
I then turned to 9:8 and read,
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work (II Cor. 9:8).
The parallels in the two passages were immediately obvious. Both speak of God’s abundant financial provision for His people and both speak of His provision flowing from His grace. It is not something earned. It is blessing flowing from His marvelous grace.
I knew God was speaking to me and decided to write the date in the margin of my Bible. I was astounded as I wrote, “9-8-91.”
Present Application
This is the story—from 28 years ago--that came back clearly to me early this morning. Maybe it is for someone who thinks, “I don’t deserve God’s blessing.” You are right! None of us deserve His blessing. That fact, however, should not stop you from expecting His blessing since it flows from His amazing grace that Paul says He has lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8; NIV).
It is the sort of blessing of which God spoke to the people of Israel as they were going in to possess the land of Canaan. God said that they would possess,
Flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant (Deut. 6:10-11).
So, let’s expect unearned blessings, flowing from God’s goodness and grace, coming our way today. Now, that is something for which to be thankful!

Sue and I greatly appreciate those friends and partners God has brought into our lives whose prayers, friendship, and financial gifts keep us going. If you would like to give a gift to this ministry, click the "Donate" icon above or go to www.eddiehyatt.com or www.godswordtowomen.org.