The Pastor Who Already Knew Why Wilberforce Had Come

In the autumn of 1785, a young Member of Parliament named William Wilberforce was in spiritual crisis. His recent conversion had left him torn — should he leave politics for ministry? He agonized privately, confiding in almost no one. Finally, he wrote a cautious letter to John Newton, the aging former slave trader turned clergyman, requesting a secret meeting.

Wilberforce arrived at Newton's London home expecting to explain himself from scratch. Instead, the old pastor received him as though he had been waiting years for this very visit. Newton did not need Wilberforce to rehearse his struggle. He already understood the young man's gifts, his position, his restless conscience. Before Wilberforce could finish his first sentence, Newton gently steered him toward a truth he had not yet seen in himself: "God has raised you up for the good of the church and the good of the nation." Stay in Parliament. Fight the slave trade. Your calling is not away from power — it is within it.

Wilberforce left that room reoriented. Someone had seen his purpose before he could name it himself.

When Jesus told Nathanael, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree," He revealed what every searching heart longs to hear — that the Almighty was watching before we ever thought to look for Him. Our seeking is always a response to His seeing. He knows our name, our place, and our calling before we ever walk through the door.