Shaun Groves
In the 1700s John Wesley realized something frightening about Christians I’ve only just learned about myself in the last few years.
In a sermon titled “The Inefficacy of Chrisianity” Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, cried out:
“I am distressed! I know not what to do! …true, scriptural Christianity has a tendency, in the process of time, to undermine and destroy itself.”
His followers were mostly from lower economic classes. But once they became Christians, the Spirit of God, “in the process of time”, changed them so thoroughly that they became more reliable, disciplined, considerate, conscientious and, as a result, became more prosperous, were entrusted with more responsibility, influence and even wealth. Their prosperity, according to Wesley, then resulted in many of these Christians eventually becoming more selfish, indulgent and lacking in self-denial. They stopped practicing the spiritual disciplines God had used so effectively to transform their hearts and minds. They stopped maturing and even immatured.
Prosperity will, Wesley said, “naturally beget pride, love of the world, and every temper that is destructive of Christianity.”
Wesley, despite all his great wisdom, was unable to imagine a Christian being prosperous and not at the same time wholly corrupt. So he forsook admiration and wealth at every opportunity.
God has changed me dramatically over the last five years. He’s hurt me, disciplined me, and lovingly shaped me into something more closely resembling Jesus. I sure haven’t arrived. Not even close. And I never will. The process continues until the grave but…
Now I’m being rewarded for the good work God’s done in me. I’m being offered the opportunity to enlarge my speaking/communicating platform…if I want that. Do I want that?
Like Wesley, I wonder if it is possible for me to serve from a larger platform and continue to mature. Would I be corrupted? Would prosperity of this kind “naturally beget pride, love of the world, and every temper that is destructive of Christianity?”
Unlike Wesley I can imagine a prosperous Christian believing and living like Christ. I know people who prove it’s possible. But am I one of those people yet?
And I certainly don’t believe God needs a large platform to do big things either.
So I’m praying this through. Pray with me.
Apart from Christ I can do nothing. I certainly can’t prove John Wesley wrong.
Beth says:
I pray for you all the time, as I know you do for me. I will pray specifically for God’s guidance and wisdom in this opportunity.
Beth
Amanda says:
What I have seen the Lord do in my mom is provide plenty of thorns and thistles to keep her from loving what she does more than who she serves. As great as her career looks from the outside, it is very humbling and extremely hard work. You probably already know that. I will pray!
Jill Foley says:
Praying for you and with you.
sarah valente says:
This so perfectly depicts my heart’s cry. My issue is specifically over money…which I know, I know is not evil in itself. But I’ve seen it used for good and I’ve seen it corrupt. And I’m just not confident that I’m not one who would be corrupted. I’ve asked God to grow me, make me sure of who I am, give me one mind in this matter with my husband and to THEN give us an abundance to pour out. But I keep asking Him not to give me wealth until that happens….
And so far, we’re still poor;)
NancyTyler says:
Both power and poverty can either magnify our “worsts “or reveal our “bests.”
So many kings in the Bible and ‘kings’ on the modern pulpit started out “doing good in the eyes of the Lord” but slipped away from a true view of themselves and their vulnerabilities, believed their own PR and tumbled.
I believe power, prosperity and fame for the rare, mature Christian can be kept in check. But it has to be managed by sticking to a firm plan of moral and spiritual accountability.
Praying for your decision.
Rachel says:
I feel like I struggle with this issue for different reasons in different seasons. Last night my husband and I were just discussing an approaching major decision. We feel like we have the freedom to go in two different directions on it, but we feel that one direction might be the less “successful” choice but would be better for our souls, keeping certain things in us in check. These kinds of decisions are sobering and humbling, forcing us to recognize our weaknesses and to trust God’s strength. Thanks for sharing this story today. I feel the same tension and pray God would give you strength and courage to make a wise decision about what has been placed before you.
suzie stogner says:
i am a Wesleyan born and raised , 3rd generation. i even went to a Wesleyan univ. and i agree with u. I also have issues about being sanctified here on earth and being complete holy. I don’t think i will ever be holy enough for Jesus!
sean says:
I know no wealthy Christians, I know a few stewards that are trusted with much.
Robin Vestal says:
Love the message.
Money, power and wealth can certainly be snares to the soul.
rhonda says:
Will be praying. Jesus can:)
katie says:
I’ve known several people who have come to Christianity when they were desperately poor or their marriage was broken, or their child deathly sick and they became part of the church, praying feverishly for relief, finding hope, encouragement from the church, trying on a new salvation with all it’s disciplines…and then casting it aside after God changed their situation… But, for you–
My experience with Christianity is that i seem to simultaneously live in a refiner’s fire and the “broad places” from Psalms…perhaps that is what brings God the most glory–to take one of the “least of these” and bring them into a situation that would break any other person’s resolve and then to bring them out again with their joy and salvation intact…
Sure more money will bring out more sin–just like illness or fame or depression or a loving family or anything else–but it already exists in your heart anyway–and because God is faithful to you, He will use it to refine you instead of break you.
God guards the feet of his faithful ones. 1 Sam 2–hey, it’s a promise, right?
Grant Norsworthy says:
Thanks for sharing Shaun.
Todd Cantrell says:
Shaun, I don’t think John Wesley was always against wealth. In fact, he also once said, “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can”. This is the quote that many Christians should live by. As far as your opportunity, you already are going into with eyes wide open. That alone should greatly protect you from corruption. Sure, a bigger stage, more recognition, more “fame” has the potential to corrupt anyone, but it is not a divine law that it will happen. God is with you Shaun. He has laid this path before you. Take it.
Shaun Groves says:
Sort of.
That famous quotation of his about wealth and giving is taken from this context:
“I can see only one possible way [to escape the corruption of prosperity]: find out another who can. Do you gain all you can, and save all you can? Then you must in the nature of things grow rich. Then if you have any desire to escape the damnation of hell, give all you can; otherwise I can have no more hope of your salvation than that of Judas Iscariot.”
So, John Wesley definitely – at this time in his life – avoided prosperity personally by retaining as little of its fruit as possible, because he believed it corrupted the soul and resulted in eternal damnation. He said that if he died with more than 10 pence in his pocket then he had not lived the gospel and implied that he would be damned for it. (I don’t agree, by the way. 1 Timothy 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 13:3)
Jen~Beautiful Mess says:
🙂 A lot to think about!
Rhonda K says:
This post reminds me of Proverbs 30:8-9
“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD ?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
Praying for you today.
As for your decision, I agree with Todd’s comment. As long as you determine beforehand to step away if you EVER feel like you are going down the wrong path. Give yourself that out and get people you trust to hold you accountable to that. Then let God use you in amazing ways!!!
Jeremy says:
What I get from the Sermon on the Mount is that even though it matters what you do, it matters just as much why you do it. And that God can see our secrets and our heart.
So I guess you should ask why you would do it, and not just what you would do with it.
If it helps, I’d hire a billion of you before I’d hire some slick guy with a megachurch. Not that they’re all bad guys, either, so nobody start in on me about that. It’s just proven that interpersonal communication has much more deeper and longer lasting results than mass communication. Both types have a part to play though.
jen says:
What Sean said.
Maybe it’s not really about what you want . . . it’s just about allowing God to mold you into the right shape vessel to hold what He needs you to hold.
Do we mature, if we try to stand still? If we don’t step out in faith to do the hard things? (not that the hard things earn our favor, mind you)
I never say these things well. (arg!) I don’t intend to say that you should take the opportunity just because it has been presented . . . just that it should be our goal to be stewards of what God has given us to the absolute best of our ability! Perhaps it is saying no that will allow you to be a good steward.
Anyway, I’ll pray for wisdom for you.
Jackalynn says:
pRaYiN fUr EwU.
Josh says:
praying for clarity in that decision, and for pride to never grow…
Dionne Hammond says:
While I understand your perspective, you are interpreting Wesley incorrectly. Yes, there are people who share their wealth. Unfortunately, sacrifically giving happens rarely. Whatever our wealth, Wesley called Christians to sacrifice, reiterating the call of Jesus. No matter our income, God requires our whole being. Scripturally, the call of Christ is denial …”deny yourself” and follow me. I don’t think too many of us even comprehend that message here in the western culture. Wesley was about the poor. He lived a life of denial. Let’s not prove him wrong but instead search out the Bible to understand and experience why Wesley said what he did. Grace and peace ~
Dionne Hammond
Shaun Groves says:
Dionne,
I don’t see how anything you said contradicts anything I’ve said.
And it’s not my interpretation of Wesley. It’s a combination of Dallas Willard’s (in his book on disciplines), notes in an anthology of his sermons, and a biography. All claim that John Wesley saw prosperity as wholly corrupting (as the quotes I’ve provided prove I think) and combatted best by not holding onto wealth and by avoiding admiration. I don’t entirely disagree with him and I, by your words here, don’t think you do either.
What I disagree with is Wesley’s assertion that it is not possible to be “prosperous” and follow Jesus. Like you said, self-denial makes that possible.
Kris says:
I’ll certainly pray about this with you, for you and me both.
This is very timely for me. I’m in the process of preparing my first book for publishing. I’ve been wondering how to handle it if this books proves to be a sucess.