John Wesley said that harsh words spoken to us actually provide a helpful balance:
“Who could bear honor and good report, were it not balanced by dishonor?”
In other words, if the only things said to you are words of praise, it’s awfully hard to keep from getting a big head! So when the painful words come, it is important to evaluate them, but also recognize that they might be just the medicine you need to reduce ego swelling.
Where would we be without our mothers? I know that seems like an obvious question, but it’s one that is worth pondering again and again.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and we want to celebrate our moms the right way.
“I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” —John Wesley
How true this is! So it’s time to celebrate our moms. Join us this Sunday at 10:30am.
I love John Wesley’s commentary on this verse in the Gospel of John:
You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. (John 15:16 AMP)
From John Wesley’s Notes On The Bible:
Leading others to an eternity with Jesus, bearing fruit that lasts forever, and having complete union with Christ in prayer. Wow! What amazing privileges followers of Jesus can have!
I am no long my own, but Thine,
Put me to what Thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by Thee or laid aside for Thee,
Exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
To Thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am Thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. (John Wesley’s covenant prayer, 1780)
Wow, that’s a gutsy prayer to pray! I would like to think I can pray this and truly mean it. What about you? Could you really pray this?
This was written by John Wesley nearly 270 years ago, but these twelve rules for preachers are just as applicable today. I’m going to mull these over a bit as I head into the new year, and I encourage you to do the same:
1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away time, nor spend more time at any place than is strictly necessary.
2. Be serious. Let your motto be, “Holiness to the Lord.” Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.
3. Converse sparingly and cautiously with women, particularly with young women.
4. Take no step towards marriage without solemn prayer to God and consulting with your brethren.
5. Believe evil of no one unless fully proved; take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction you can on everything. You know the judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner’s side.
6. Speak evil of no one, else your word, especially, would eat as doth a canker; keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.
7. Tell everyone what you think wrong in him, lovingly and plainly, and as soon as may be, else it will fester in your own heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.
8. Do not affect the gentleman. A preacher of the Gospel is the servant of all.
9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; no, not of cleaning your own shoes when necessary.
10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And do not mend our rules, but keep them, and that for conscience’s sake.
11. You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go always, not only to those who want you, but to those who want you most.
12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel, and in union with your brethren. As such, it is your part to employ your time as our rules direct: partly in preaching and visiting from house to house, partly in reading, meditation, and prayer. Above all, if you labor with us in our Lord’s vineyard, it is needful you should do that part of the work which the Conference shall advise, at those times and places which they shall judge most for His glory.
It’s been a debate around golfing circles for years as to which PGA pro gets credit for responding to a fan who quipped, “That was a lucky shot!” The famous reply (variously attributed to either Gary Player, Arnold Palmer or Lee Trevino) is, “You know, the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get.”
Regardless of who said it, there’s so much truth in that statement. Here’s what I’ve learned about success:
NO ONE is an over-night success. “The heights of great men reached and kept // Were not attained by sudden flight // But they, while their companions slept // Were toiling upwards in the night.” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
NO ONE is a half-hearted success. “Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.” —Zig Ziglar
NO ONE is successful on their own. “Leaders will not experience long-term success unless a lot of people want them to.” —John Maxwell
SUCCESS requires a high price. “Achievers choose what losers won’t and pay the price that others don’t.” —Anonymous
SUCCESS takes dedicated time. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers quotes the 10,000 Hour Rule. He writes, “The biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work.” Instead, he says that highly successful people have put in a minimum of 10,000 hours in a single area (think the Beatles with their music or Bill Gates with his computer programming).
SUCCESS starts with personal initiative. “Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” —Arnold H. Glasow
John Wesley explained how he drew such large crowds in the First Great Awakening by stating, “I set myself on fire, and the people come to see me burn.” If you want to be successful, you must set yourself on fire, pay the price, and do the time.
Are you ready? If so, then burn, baby, burn!
Craig T. Owens 