There’s Gold in Them Thar’ People!
When I think about shiny, rich yellow gold, the mountains of Montana come to mind, especially the Garnet Mountain range that surrounds a tiny ghost town about 18 miles outside Missoula. This once hustling and bustling late 19th-century community now sits quiet and contained, locking history inside herself. To what and whom is her legacy?
In 1886, two British men named George (Harrison and Walker) discovered gold in South Africa. Word of their jackpot blew with the wind across the plateaus and rolling grasslands, attracting hundreds of excavators. They came with pickaxes, shovels, wheelbarrows, and plenty of labor to muscle out the golden soul of the mountain. Greed and temptation corrupted these early settlers, who had little regard for others. Every man for himself, or so it seemed, fueled disorder, chaos, and frequent fighting. The well of liquid gold soon ran dry, and the little settlement of Garnet fell to its knees. This once-future ghost town discovered its day of reckoning.
The human story of death by pride, power, and greed has been told for generations. In his book Confessions, Saint Augustine of Hippo reminds us that inherited sin has corrupted the very core of human nature, leaving us to repeat history over and over again as water spins around the drain. While our nation and the world appear to be at a tipping point of social destruction, the Prince of Peace is already hard at work, choosing the next generation of leaders who will serve God’s people. “There should always be a pipeline of leaders being developed for God’s kingdom,” said Tom Camacho, author of Mining for Gold. Equipped and led by the great I Am, our obedient responsibility as Christ-followers is to mine for those leaders and prepare them for the Lord’s work through mentorship and coaching.
As the gold miners of the 19th century used fire to mold and form their precious metal into something useful, we, too, can help shape our treasures (mentees) into warriors for Jesus using Camacho’s principles of leadership coaching. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must proclaim identity through Christ, which covers all that we do. We recognize and honor that every person was made in the image of God and has been assigned unique gifts and talents to serve the body of Christ in particular ways. And as gold is refined through heat and flames, leaders are refined by persevering through the challenges of the cross, demonstrating resilience, hope, and the goodness of our Father to onlookers. Being Christian means we courageously exhibit our love for God by loving others well. For me, that means serving my incarcerated brothers and sisters or welcoming someone who is suffering into my home for a meal and conversation. What does that look like for you?
Scripture reminds us there is nothing we can do to win a golden lottery ticket to the holy right-hand seat near Jesus, yet faith without works is as dead as that little town of Garnet. Within that still, small space of loving, breathing, and reflecting the light of God is the foundation of trust that is crucial to allowing us as mentors to do our job – help others elevate their character-building skills. In Mining for Gold, Camacho does not miss the chance to mention that dark forces whose sole purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy are around us all. He states that “People with the best leadership potential may get sucked into spiritual battles and distractions.” Judging by its consistent nature, I believe those dark forces played a role in the demise of the town of Garnet. As the world again finds itself at the doorstep of significant changes, politically, culturally, and otherwise, will pride, power, and greed ring louder than our God-hearts?
When we focus on the right things – grace, forgiveness, and consideration of others over self, God will give us momentum toward our calling. It is part of the formula for everlasting life to die to our egos and live for the overall good of humanity. When we align with the spirit, the flow of life will happen effortlessly. There will be no mistaking his presence. Human flourishing will prevail at the hand of our creator, and an inside-out revival will leap from the fire within our hearts, which will spark passion in others that cannot be extinguished.
Can you feel it? Are you hungry for the Lord’s revival inside of you? What will you say yes to? What will you decline to create much-needed bandwidth? And finally, much like the little town of Garnet, to what and whom will be your legacy?
About the Author
Jennifer Eckert
Fundraising director, people connector, believer in second chances, fights poverty, supports justice reform, lives a life integrated with Matthew 25.9 responses to “There’s Gold in Them Thar’ People!”
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Jennifer, I currently sit a 2-hour drive through the mountains north of the Garnet Ghost Town you mentioned. As you described the gold fever driving people to this once booming mining town, I started to wonder what it would look like for the church to respond with similar excitement and priority about the God-placed gold Camacho talks about. Wow, that would be cool! What specific aspect of Camacho’s coaching principles do you find applicable in your current context?
Good morning, Chad. I find the obligation to build kingdom leaders is a responsibility we should all welcome. We were blessed by others who poured into us, so we should do the same. Specifically to your question, I enjoy trying to identify what people’s gifts and talents are. Sometimes, they are aware of them, but most often, people are unsure of what they have to contribute. It is fun to point out and affirm them in the moments when they reveal their giftings. Have you visited the Garnet ghost town? It’s a neat little place, but sad at what became of it.
Hi Jennifer, You asked about what courageously loving others looks like for your readers. For me it sometimes means choosing to look for the least connected person in the room and moving toward them instead of finding my friends or people who feel more ‘like me.’ Lately, it has also looked like exhorting denominational leaders to get uncomfortable for the purpose of introducing others to relationship with Jesus.
Hi Julie – great job encouraging others (especially the leaders) to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. And even more, you are modeling that yourself. You walk the talk. It takes the eyes of God to recognize someone who may be feeling alone and the courage to go to them. I hope you will also take note of what Jesus is doing in your heart as you reach out to others.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your post.
I can certainly agree that dark forces are at work to steal, kill, and destroy. As a leader, I’ve experienced this many time, and yet in the Lord’s kindness, I have been rescued over and over again. Our work as leaders and coaches is indeed a spiritual battle. Praise be to God that he has sent the Holy Spirit to be our advocate and teacher.
In your ministry to God’s people, what are some of the hardships or spiritual battles that you’ve faced in coaching?
Hi Christy, great question. Some of the battles I have faced have to do with myself rather than someone else. We can be our worst enemy, which only opens the door for the real enemy to give voice. Learning to intentionally shift my thinking elsewhere helps, but it will likely be something I have to deal with in high or low seasons.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your post. I, too am struck by the idea of legacy in leadership. Thanks again for the reminder. I was recently speaking to a room of leaders and encouraged them not to think only about the next year or next decade, but to think about the impact that our decisions have on our children’s children. The Bible uses the phrase “children’s children”, 12 times; the word “generations” 80 times and the word “generation” 154 times. It would suggest that scripture supports your post that God is not only thinking about you and your life, but the impact that your life has on the generations to come. It’s a sobering thought, and maybe if
Christian people thought more “generationally” then we would make better decisions and be less selfish.
Thank you for the provoking thought.
Thank you, Glyn.
Thanks for relating the impact on the land and towns that have “mined for gold” for the god of “Mammon”. This feels like a cautionary tale, that we can be just as guilty when sitting down with a person in whom there is gold. Do we see them as a town or field to be extracted for our purposes? If we ‘mine them dry’ in order to take their story, or even sell / profit from it… may God help us!
But, if we cooperate with the Spirit in mining for gold