Wesley's Questions #19

 

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

19. Would you observe the following directions?

a) Be diligent

b. Be punctual

 

These questions refer to how one spends time. The first encourages the person never to waste time. The second is not to waste the time of others. Both of these are valid concerns. Time is the one commodity we can never get back. An apology never returns the hour someone waited for you to meet them. An hour procrastinating on a project personally is an hour that is stolen from something else you could have done or rest you could have taken.

Stealing time from others isn’t something I usually struggle with. I also have a spouse who diligently reminds me of my responsibility to others and their time. I hope that I continue to remember that if people are giving me their time I should use it wisely.  

On the other hand, I have in the past allowed fear or doubt to steal time from me. They wanted to steal the time I spent writing these answers out telling me they would never be good enough. This time I conquered those fears and in a timely manner finished the questions. I can not say that I will always be successful in the future. I might fail. I have a lot of self-doubts, that I am learning to overcome.

When it comes to the church, I plan to finish documents on time, have meetings when they are called for in the book of discipline, and communicate with leaders in a timely manner so that the work of others will be a blessing and not a burden. Will I fall short? Possibly, however, I hope with the help of God not to.