| THE MCCLELLAN SYNDROME "Historians are still trying to solve that mystery. Life seemed to have prepared him for greatness." He was well-born, highly educated and graduated second in his class at West Point. At the age of twenty, he was renowned for engineering achievements in the Mexican War. He became president of a railroad company at thirty, and two years later took command of the North’s principle field army. He had an "air of success" and was appointed by Lincoln as general chief of staff and commander of the army of the Potomac. He was a great organizer with the confidence of the nation and the President behind him. He prepared a superior army in a short time and all was ready. But he seemed to lack the courage to act. He would never take the risk of entering battle. He was afraid to risk failure. He was thoroughly prepared and perpetually almost ready to move, but he always overestimated the power of the enemy and never did act. Lincoln eventually had to replace him." ["The Battle Cry of Freedom," James M. McPherson] This great mystery to Grant and historians was "The McClellan Syndrome." What is it? The McClellan Syndrome is always preparing, but never acting. This can happen to students in school and university, to generals, and to all of us. We can endlessly prepare, and never obey. Jesus talked about this type of person in Matt. 7:24-27. "Everyone, then, who listens to these sayings of Mine and does not put them into practice will be like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand...and it collapsed, because it was not founded on the rock." Here were wise men and foolish men who had three things in common: they both heard the truth, they both built and they both had the testing of winds, rains and floods. The one difference that set the wise man apart from the foolish was acting on what he heard. We can go to discipleship training classes, Bible studies, seminars, hear good messages, be with wise counselors, but the time will come when we have to obey our Lord, or it will mean nothing. Jesus outlined the mystery with the question, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but do not do what I say?" [Luke 6:46] It is a great incongruity to be calling God, "Lord," and not doing what He asks of us! This is a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron. The very definition of "Lord" carries with it the necessity of obedience. The McClellan Syndrome is never taking the risk of investment. It is like the servants in the Parable of the Talents in Luke 19. The Master gave each of them talents and told them to "occupy till I come." "Occupy" means "do business, put to work, trade, do the deed." It means to invest what we have been given. It means to take the risk and give away what we have. It means to give our lives away so we can find out who we really are. Saving ourselves and talents is false security, because we will lose them in the end. This is what happened to the wicked servant who hid his talent out of fear. There is a time to take the risk of involvement. Tony Campolo reported that a survey of people over eighty years old revealed three things they would do differently if they could live their lives over. They would spend more time in thinking contemplatively, do more things that would last beyond their lifetime, and take more risks in life. Without the risk of investment, there will never be a return, only hidden talents in a pocket that never did anyone any good and was taken from us for lack of use. McPherson speculates about McClellan, "Maybe, he had been too successful. He had never known, as Grant had, the despair of defeat or the humiliation of failure. He had never learned the lessons of adversity and humility. The adulation he experienced during the early weeks in Washington went to his head... He was a proud man with vain glory who loved to hear the cheers of his men. He told Lincoln, ‘I can do it all.’" When we have never tasted the humility of failure, it is hard to risk it. Our fear of failure can paralyze us just as it did the wicked servant. He said, "Here is your talent, which I have kept in a napkin, for I was afraid..." [Luke 19:20] This man thought success was not risking failure, and he was called "wicked!" God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Even if we have tasted failure, it is better than having never risked it, because God will give grace to the humble! He can bring success out of failure, if we will risk it. The McClellan Syndrome is overestimating the power of the enemy. It was McClellan’s habit to consistently overestimate the number of Confederate troops engaging him, and it was always an excuse to not fight - yet. The Confederate leaders caught on to this flaw in his thinking and played to it. One time a Confederate general sent his buglers all around McClellan to make him thing he was facing far more forces than he could defeat, and it paralyzed him from taking the offense in battle which he would have most certainly won having superior numbers and weapons. McClellan was always asking Washington for more troops, more weapons, more supplies and more equipment so he could engage the enemy. The tragedy of his delays caused an unnecessary continuation of the war and a loss of 300,000 more lives. This overestimating the power of the enemy exists today in Christian circles. The Power of Satan has been magnified to equal status with God which is exactly what Lucifer wanted in Isa. 14:12-14. Lucifer said, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, and will be like the Most High." He wanted to be equal with God, and fell out of heaven with a crash. Now his desire for equality is being fulfilled by the very people who should be engaged in defeating him. Out of fear of his power Christians are calling "experts in exorcism" rather than trusting that "greater is He [Christ] who is in our hearts than he [Satan] who is in the world." [I Jn. 4:4] We need to stop fearing his power and resist him in the power of God, and we will see victory. Delaying our battle will only make it worse and cause many more casualties. This is the result of passivity which is the counterfeit of rest in the Lord. We are to rest in Him as we enter the land and push out the enemy! This is the picture of Joshua and the children of Israel. They were to "enter His rest" and defeat the enemy, because God had given them into their hand. However passivity refrains from moving and instead allows outside forces to influence it. In this void, the enemy can plant all kinds of thoughts that can produce false visions and dreams, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, vacillation, and inactivity. Passivity is fertile ground for the invasion of evil thoughts that contradict the God’s truth and rob us of freedom, love, obedience and fruit. The Lord’s pathway is between the two extremes of passivity on the one side and self effort on the other. In between is the balance of "without Him I can do nothing," [Jn. 15:5] and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." [Phil. 4:13] On the one hand I have died with Him, but on the other, I have been raised to new life with Him. [Rom. 6:6-8] On the one hand, I am hidden with Him and on the other I appear with Him. [Col. 3:3,4] If we sta y on the path with Jesus, we will keep our balance and not fall into the ditch of passivity on the one side or self effort on the other. The McClellan syndrome overestimated the power of the enemy and became passive, and battles that could be won were lost. My wife and I saw this take place on a recent trip. I was drained and tired after a couple of weeks of meetings and travel. We entered the home of friends for a visit and some rest. Rest turned to oppression when our friends began promoting a psychology and world view that sounded good, but was contrary to God’s Word. It was in enticing philosophy, and I began to listen with interest. Soon, I became influenced by being passively silent instead of actively introducing God’s word into the discussion. This caused my wife to become separated in spirit with me, and she felt abandoned, because my passivity made it appear that I was "on their side." This developed into darkness of mind and heart, oppression and division in spirit with my wife. It took us a couple of weeks to recover and be reconciled and reconnected with each other. My lack of offense in the battle, caused things to get worse. This is the danger of the McClellan syndrome. Battles, not fought can become lost wars and relationships can be wounded and damaged. However, the good news is still, "Greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world." [I Jn. 4:4] I began to live in this truth again and the enemy was defeated again. Someone has said, "I focus on God and am aware of Satan." However, too many believers are focusing on Satan and are just aware of God." I had to get back to the basic truth that God was in me and I was in Him and that He is far greater than the enemy. How do we abide in Him and He in us? It is by active obedience, not passivity. "Now, he who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in him..."[IJn.3:24]"He who keeps My commands loves Me...and I will manifest Myself to him and We will come and make our home in him." The key is obedience as George McDonald has said, "To do His words is to enter into vital relationship with Jesus; to obey Him is the only way to be one with Him. The relationship between Him and us is an absolute one; it can begin to live in no other way but in obedience..." His commands are His heart, so we can know Him by doing the next thing He tells us to do. Life is doing the next thing He tells us to do with Him. Legalism lists the commands, unusually for others to do, and doesn’t do them! Legalism is Christian demands. Obedience is His command for the moment and His yoke is easy and light! To break out of the McClellan syndrome: Come to Him in your weakness and poverty, admit your helplessness to do anything without Him, rest in His love and take the next step with Him. Move toward the enemy with Him and resist. He will flee, the darkness will lift and the oppression will lighten. Remember: Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world," and Jesus has won the victory. Just obey and the battle is won. |