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Written by John Wesley (1703-1791), an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader in the revival movement known as Methodism.  This is an excerpt from his book “Christian Perfection.”

Beware of schism, of making a tear in the Church of Christ. Ceasing to have a reciprocal love ​“for one another” (1 Cor. 12:25), is inner disunity which is at the very root of all outward separation. Beware of everything that leads to this separation. Beware of a dividing spirit. Therefore, do not say, ​“I am of Paul,” or ​“I am of Apollos.” This is the very thing that caused the schism at Corinth. Do not say, ​“This is my preacher, the best preacher in England. Give me him and you can have all the rest.” All this tends to breed division, to disunite those whom God has joined. Do not despise or run down any preacher. Do not exalt anyone above the rest lest you hurt both him and the cause of God. Do not bear hard upon any preacher because of some inconsistency or inaccuracy of expression; no, not even for some mistake, even if you are right. Do not even give a single thought of separating from your brethren, whether their opinions agree with yours or not. Just because someone does not agree with everything you say does not mean that they are sinning. Nor is this or that opinion essential to the work of God. Be patient with those who disagree with you. Do not condemn those who do not see things just as you do, or who think it is their duty to contradict you, whether in a great thing or a small. O, beware of touchiness, of testiness, of an unwillingness to be corrected. Beware of being provoked to anger at the least criticism and avoiding those who do not accept your word.

God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. [1 Corinthians 12:24-26]

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Written by Alexis Wald, a contemporary pastor and writer.

Jesus, the truth of who You are outweighs anything I am facing. You are good. You are redeeming. You are love. Let me never lose sight of who it is that walks with me even when darkness tries to confuse me. Help me to always fix my eyes on the reality that You are love, and You love me deeply. Amen. 

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [1 John 4:16]

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Today’s meditation is from “The Weekly Faith Project,” a journal to cultivate genuine faith edited by Zondervan.

Faith knows—and trusts—who God is. And who is He? He is the One who never leaves—not as God the Father (DT 31:6), not as God the Son (MT 28:20), and not as God the Holy Spirit (JO 14:16). He never lies (Titus 1:2), He never does wrong (DT 32:3-4), and He never fails to keep a promise (NU 23:19). And you can put your full faith in Him because neither He nor His Word ever changes (HE 13:8, MT 24:35).

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. [Psalm 86:15]

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher and author on Christian spiritual formation.   This is an excerpt from his book “Renovation of the Heart.”

If we are to be spiritually formed in Christ, we must understand and implement the general pattern and all effective efforts toward personal transformation must follow – appropriate vision, intention and means. If this VIM pattern is not put in place properly and held there, Christ simply will not be formed in us.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. [2 Corinthians 3:18].

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Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker.

Gracious God, today we thank you for resting. What you did on the seventh day teaches and inspires us. It helps us to realize just how important rest must be.  As we continue to learn about the gift of sabbath, may our minds be open to learn and our hearts ready to act. Teach us to rest, Lord. Amen.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.  [Exodus 20:11]

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Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

The pace of life can accelerate quickly, with demands coming at us from every angle. When this happens, the temptation is to abandon our spiritual habits in order to find more time or to be more productive. Paradoxically, the antidote to busy-ness is not found in doing more, it is found in doing more of the right things. Spiritual leaders need time to hear from God to lead effectively. When times are busiest, guard your heart and your habits!

At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. [Luke 4:42-43]

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Written by George Matheson (1842-1906), a Scottish minister, hymn writer, and author. He was blind from the age of 17.

My soul, if you would be enlarged into human sympathy, you  must be narrowed into limits of human suffering. Joseph’s dungeon is the road to Joseph’s throne. You can not lift the iron load of your brother if the iron has not entered into you. It is your limit that is your enlargement. It is the shadows of your life that are the real fulfillment of your dreams of glory. Murmur not at the shadows; they are better revelations than your dreams. Say not that the shades of the prison-house have fettered you; your fetters are wings — wings of flight into the bosom of humanity. The door of your prison-house is a door into the heart of the universe. God has enlarged you by the binding of sorrow’s chain.

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. [Psalm 4:1]

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Written by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), a British writer and theologian.  This is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to Mary Neylan on January 20, 1942.

I know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptations. It is not serious provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at breaking records, impatience etc, doesn’t get the upper hand. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, & the clean clothes are in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign of His presence.

I waited patiently for the Lord;he turned to me and heard my cry.He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire;he set my feet on a rockand gave me a firm place to stand.He put a new song in my mouth,a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see and fear the Lordand put their trust in him. [Psalm 40:1-3].

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Written by Max Lucado, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker. This is an excerpt from his work “Glory Days.”

Who are you? I’m glad you asked. You are:

• God’s child (John 1:12),

• Christ’s friend (John 15:15),

• a member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27),

• a saint (Ephesians 1:1),

• redeemed and forgiven of all your sins (Colossians 1:14),

• complete in Christ, lacking in nothing (Colossians 2:10),

• free from condemnation (Romans 8:1–2),

• God’s coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1),

• seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6),

• God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10),

• a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20),

• adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5),

• born of God, and the evil one cannot touch you (1 John 5:18).

Get acquainted with your new self.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:11]

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Written by Chris Webb, a contemporary Benedictine Anglican priest, author, speaker, and teacher. This is an excerpt from his work “To Bear the Character of God.”

The most odious corruption of love within our souls takes place when we allow love to become inwardly directed and self-absorbed. Christians insist on a simple truth that is strikingly counter-cultural in our contemporary society, obsessed as it is with self-realization and self-regard: we are not here to love ourselves.Now that needs some qualification, of course. It is not that we Christians are called to hate ourselves. The loathing which some people experience when they look in the mirror is neither natural nor healthy. But, contrary to the way many preachers and writers have come to interpret Christ’s teaching on the great commandments, the call to ​“love your neighbor as you love yourself ” (Mt 22:39) does not imply that our first task is to learn self-love. The twelfth-century Cistercian writer Bernard of Clairvaux had a clearer picture. In his short but brilliant work On Loving God, he argued that love at its least perfected is inwardly focused, seeking only its own good. And this self-love is not true love at all, merely the power of love corrupted into pride and vanity. As grace begins to reorder our hearts, though, some of that love starts to turn outward, towards God (and our neighbor), drawing us beyond ourselves – even if initially only because of the selfish benefits we can derive from others. A yet more well-ordered heart is able to love God and others for their own sake. And finally, says Bernard, we then truly learn what it means to love ourselves: to be grateful for the gift of ourselves, the only thing we truly have to offer to God and those around us, to express love. Growth in holiness ends in a proper love of self by turning outward to others, not by turning inward on ourselves.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.  [Romans 1:25]

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