Do all the good you can?

[joyfulthanks]

I've got a question for you. John Wesley once said:

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

When I look at the Methodist churches I've been in (and I've been in a lot over my lifetime since we've moved a lot), this is exactly what I see - people busy, busy, BUSY, BUSY doing good deeds.

But at what point does following the guidance of the Holy Spirit come in? Following Wesley's philosophy, I see people burning themselves out with committee meetings, leading youth groups, etc., and they are just plain tired; too tired to really be there even for family sometimes.

On the other hand, Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me," and "My yoke is easy and my burden light."

My own philosophy for most of my Christian life has been to try to listen for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, and do just what He tells me - no more and no less. I've also tried it the other way - the way I think Wesley is advocating, and the difference is dramatic.

When I listen for God's guidance, though I may work very hard, the burden is light, and the fruit winds up being abundant. When I take things on just because they're "good" things, they usually don't bear much fruit, and they wear me out.

So am I crazy? Will I ever fit in a Methodist church? I wind up saying "no" to a lot of things at church so that I can say "yes" to the more personal work of homeschooling a friend's daughter (which I believe is the main thing God has called me to do right now). And the truth is, I really don't want to live the way I see many Methodists living. It doesn't work for me, and I really honestly don't believe this is the way God intends for us to live.

Any thoughts?

-Grace

 

[joyfulthanks]

PS: What do you think Wesley means in the General Rules when he says, "...doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all men...trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine that 'we are not to do good unless our hearts be free to do it'"?

 

[joyfulthanks]

PS #2: I also don't want to give the impression that I'm advocating sitting on our fannies waiting for audible voices or anything. I do think there is a delicate balance involved with all of this.

 

[we5frogs]

Well, let's see....

I believe it's true that in many cases, we can become so entrenched in doing things for God, that we are not spending time with Him, not listening for His voice, not seeking His direction.

I have found as a general rule that if I am feeling stretched to my limit or unenthused when I am asked to take on a project or event, I turn it down.

>If it comes back at me a second time, with no one else having stepped up in the meantime, and something has been 'nudging' me since the first time, it is usually a good indication that though it is something I may not really want to do, it is exactly what He wants me to do. He blesses it and produces fruit from it, despite my hesitancy.
>If, however, whether the task is taken on by someone else or not, I feel no 'nudging' and am quite at peace with my decision, then He was not in it to begin with, at least as far as my involvement is concerned.

On the other hand, when there is something I am quite excited about, I jump right in and put all my energy into it, and often find quite quickly that He does not share my excitement, and I should have maybe talked to Him about it first. Then I have to go with 'my tail between my legs' and admit to those around me that I put the 'cart before the horse'.

I think that is what he means when he says "our hearts be free to do it." Too many times we rely on what 'feels right to us' or what 'we feel passionate about', and allow those thoughts to creep in in which we tell ourselves if it is something He wants us to do, then it will be fun, or fulfilling to us, or not seem a chore at all. Those are lies from the devil. He never promised it would be easy, He only promises to get us through it, to give us what we need to get the job done.

I have no doubt that Noah building the ark did not find the chore easy, Job turned heel and ran 'cause he wasn't feeling any passion about going to Ninevah, and I don't think Joseph felt excited about the unknown journey he was about to take that led him to Egypt. Most of us will never be asked to take on such enormous tasks. But in those cases, as in ours, all He asks is willingness, and to seek only His will.

So, I guess when I read the "do all you can.....for as long as you can" quote from John Wesley, I stand it up next to a verse like "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." declares the Lord, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

All I can do is all He asks of me, and if I am doing all I can according to His expectations, His peace will fill me and the burden is light, no matter how hard the work. It doesn't matter for one minute what the world thinks, even those at church, and it often doesn't matter at all what I think, except to go where He sends me, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[markbelieves]

Does everyone at your church jump into every activity? I see quite a mix at our church. There are those that seem to be involved in just everything they can. There are not a lot of them.
The next group, probably the largest group, are involved in some things but not everything.
The last group attend church but do not do much else at the church. I stress "at the church." because I don't want to make assumptions. For all I know they may be involved in plenty of "good" outside of the church.

I don't think Wesleys statement was meant to pertain strictly to activities at the church. Can I only do good while at the church? The answer is no, I can do good all of the time.

It sounds like you have noticed the group that is involved in everything and feel like you need to match them or you come up short. This is not so. Be involved, but only to the point that you can be effectve and perform with a joyful heart. If you are struggling to do all you are trying to do then you are probably attempting to do more than God intended.

Grace and Peace to you,

Mark

 

[ImaginaryVoyager]

I'd like to take on the first post script, if I may:

PS: What do you think Wesley means in the General Rules when he says, "...doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all men...trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine that 'we are not to do good unless our hearts be free to do it'"?

What a great quote. One thing I've noticed about the Puritan writers is that they had a keen insight into human nature, and were careful to leave us with no excuses for disobeying God.

Contriteheart: I don't think you need feel convicted from this quote, as what you're doing is doing Good Work A, which you feel God prefers you to do, rather than Good Work B, which others may have you do. I think he's more talking about people who are asked to do something, and really aren't busy, and refuse simply because they do not personally want to do it.

Effectively, I think he's addressing the folks you mentioned in your second post script who never hear a voice from God telling them to do anything, without acknowledging that God may be speaking to them through the youth director asking for their help with the youth group.

 

[joyfulthanks]

Thank you all for responding. I'd like to discuss this further, but I have a full couple of days ahead of me and probably won't get back to it until at least Monday.

-Grace

 

[MarkEvan]

Perhapse the first thing to do is to define what Wesley meant by good works.

Mark