When two brothers, John and Charles Wesley, attended Oxford, they desired to deepen their faith. One iteration of that involved forming a small group with other Christ-followers to spur one another, to examine their lives in Christ methodically. John created twenty-two questions to serve as guidelines for spiritual accountability. He asked himself these questions each day. He journaled his responses to see whether he was deepening or flailing, and he encouraged others in this small group to do likewise. They met regularly to be formed together in Christ through prayer and Bible study, even as others mocked them, calling their group The Holy Club. John and Charles Wesley became priests and reformers within the Church, so we remember their lives on March 3.
When I read Hebrews 11, I am transported through time and space into the lives of those in past centuries who have walked with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Wesley brothers, whose lives are commemorated on March 3, belong in this faith-laced Hall of Fame because by faith, they followed Christ. The first thirteen verses in Hebrews 12 encourage us to be inspired by and become like the ranks of the faithful cloud of witnesses. We are to throw off what trips us up and to lace up our perseverance for the journey we travel upon in this Kingdom life. I want to be one who has fixed her eyes on Jesus, who considers Jesus when I struggle to resist sin. I want to stay steadfast when hardships make the road rocky and challenge me to keep going towards God.
These questions crafted by John Wesley caught my attention. When I read them, they probe my mind and heart in ways I might not think to consider each day. What would shift in our devotions and daily lives if we considered these thoughtful inquiries each day?
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- Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
- Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
- Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
- Can I be trusted?
- Am I ensnared by dress, friends, work, or habits?
- Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
- Do I pray about the money I spend?
- Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?
- Do I disobey God in anything?
- Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
- Am I defeated in any part of my life?
- Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
- How do I spend my spare time?
- Am I proud?
- Do I thank God that I am not like other people?
- Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?
- Do I grumble or complain constantly?
- Is Christ real to me?
Which of these questions surprises you? Which tug at your heart? What other questions would you add, and which would you delete?
During Lent, we are invited to explore the interior spaces of our hearts. This season focuses on repentance, a turning away from that which distracts us from God and, instead, toward the One who calls us His beloved. Journaling reflectively allows us to set aside time to investigate what we hold on to that moves us toward or away from God. Choose one question that excites you, one that challenges you, and one that you resist. Spend time writing and discussing your thoughts with God.
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. In Lent, let’s consider how their lives might influence our own as we long to deepen our love and delight in God.
