“Sir Winston Churchill was the greatest figure of the 20th century,” Gerald Flurry wrote in Winston S. Churchill—The Watchman. Churchill’s life and leadership teach us about upholding an empire, handling crisis and combatting unprecedented evil.
Although Churchill’s own family upbringing was less than ideal, being despised by his own father and worshipping a cold and distant mother, he went on to have a successful marriage and family.
It is relatively easy to look at a man like Churchill and analyze his accomplishments in connection to war or politics. But the traits of Churchill, if applied by every husband, will change the course of our families, just as Churchill changed the course of the world.
Love the Empire
Churchill had an unwavering love for the British Empire. It was one of his “greatest characteristics,” according to Philadelphia Church of God Pastor General Gerald Flurry and it contains a noble lesson for us.
If we as husbands and fathers view our households as kingdoms or empires, then how does our love for our empire compare to Churchill’s? Is it undeniable to our wife and children that we love the family?
A Churchill-level love for family leads to tremendous sacrifice, ambition and defense. Husbands and fathers have responsibilities and duties to our empires. Without a deep love, we will inevitably let down in upholding this empire.
Husbands are commanded in Ephesians 5:25 to love their wives,“even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” This is an even deeper love than what Churchill had for the physical British empire.
Like Churchill, we need to view our family empires as something greater than just what is on the surface. For us in God’s Church, the admonition extends even more seriously, as 1 Timothy 5:8highlights: “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
We must view our households as mini-empires, furthering the goal of the ultimate God Family Empire. How much we love that cause will be exhibited in our actions.
Mr. Flurry wrote a paragraph in “Churchill and the God Family Empire,” which we can apply to our physical families: “We really need to love this Family of God Empire—to the point of being willing to die for it if we must! We need an exalted love for this wonderful Family Empire that God is building, and build that vision within our minds!”
Churchill viewed the British Empire as a force for peace, order and stability. He was willing to die for it, if needed. This specifically applies when the empire is in crisis.
Churchill’s instinct was to run into battle to defend the Empire. This would’ve been impossible without a deep-rooted love. When crisis hits our family empires, our deep love will help us navigate and act—of course, relying on God, but knowing that we will do all we need to do defend the empire.
From July 1940 until Victory in Europe Day 1945, Churchill’s approval rating never fell below 78 percent. Despite the war and disasters that were striking the island, it was clear that Churchill loved the empire and by extension the people of the empire. This aroused confidence in his leadership.
When we truly love our family empire, we will develop a magnetic bond with the people of the empire: our spouse and children. They will have a greater confidence in our leadership because of this.
Confront Evil
Churchill didn’t negotiate with evil. The weak leaders of the British government were the exact opposite. They believed Adolf Hitler would capitulate and compromise. They convinced themselves that the evil that was devouring Europe was not that bad.
Churchill saw the evil for what it was and confronted it with all his might.
Our families are constantly under attack. Satan is relentless. But we are commanded to be vigilant “because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Churchill was virtually the only man willing to stand up to evil and save Western civilization. Churchill’s unwavering courage and resistance bothered Hitler!
As fathers, we don’t just protect our empires from physical threats, although that is important, but also mental and spiritual dangers. Churchill was a watchman, declaring the evils of the Nazi regime for years, while many were not only silent, but also actively ignorant.
“Neglect is not confrontation,” Joel Hilliker writes in Biblical Manhood. “Nagging is not confrontation. Negotiation is not confrontation. Godly confrontation means establishing firm rules with clear, just, effective penalties, and following through consistently. It is hard, but if you don’t do it, the evil spreads like a brush fire on a windy day. … We should keep wrong influences from entering our homes and into their lives. … Being a protector sometimes requires confrontation—confronting a threat from outside or even, at times, a problem within the person you’re protecting—like confiscating a smartphone no matter how much he or she protests!”
Our empires are our responsibilities. We cannot abdicate the role of protection because we are not willing to confront evil. Hitler and World War ii didn’t just come on the scene suddenly. It came after falling dominos that Churchill alone was trying to stop.
Although alone in one sense, God was involved and working out a purpose. We never have to or never should try to confront evil on our own. We can take great comfort in knowing that, although we fight the greatest evil, we have an even greater good on our side.
Often, confronting evil means within our home as well. Proverbs 3:11-12 shows that one of the duties of a loving father is to correct his children. We cannot truly love the empire without correcting the evil within.
Confronting evil through correction is one of the greatest blessings we can provide to our empires!
Churchill didn’t understand this dimension when he was thinking about how to defeat Hitler. But the fruits of his confrontation show that it was a great blessing to Britain, the empire and, in fact, the world.
Ultimate Confidante
Churchill was alone politically, upholding the empire when everyone else ignored the coming dangers. But even when rejected by politicians, scorned by the media and forgotten by the public, he had one person faithfully backing and supporting him: his wife, Clementine.
Wives are an invaluable asset to the building and fortification of our empires.
Clementine helped Churchill. Loma Armstrong and Barbara Flurry helped their husbands with their great work and responsibilities. How about the Clementine in your life?
Mr. Armstrong wrote in the May 1967 Plain Truth: “God blessed me with just the wife needed for His Work—a true help such as God intended a woman to be. Always I held her, not only in my own mind and thoughts, but before all others, in the very highest esteem, admiration and honor.”
God has given husbands helps that are meet (worthy), who can be a great source of wise counsel in our lives, providing necessary feedback and perspective that can help us be better leaders. The decisions and responsibility still fall on our heads as husbands, but never underestimate how God can use our spouse to help us.
Churchill was busy. Churchill had a weighty responsibility. Churchill had a world to save, and yet history recognizes the fruits of that empire-saving marriage. He received much encouragement, support, inspiration, wisdom, affection and laughs from Clementine.
Another element to this is the literal expanding of the empire that wives do through the nurturing and educating of children. Husbands guide this expansion process, and through our leadership and encouragement we can maximize the process.
We can improve the quality and impact of our empires by treasuring that special spouse relationship more each day.
Churchill loved the British Empire, and this love empowered him to do amazing things. God was able to set this man as a watchman that saved the Western world.
Our families are like mini empires. Treating our family empires like Churchill will help us grow in love, confront evil and appreciate the God-defined roles within the family. Doing this will help us love, defend and appreciate the larger empire we are a part of, the God Family Empire.