Wesley's words more valuable than ever in current tough times

We have crossed over that secular “holiday” of Tax Day. We may have even seen or participated in a TEA party recently. Money has been on our minds this week, even this week after the great celebration of Easter. It certainly has been on our minds this year as we have seen great sums lost by just about everyone, and we have had great sums proposed and passed as stimulation to our economy and for our governments upcoming budget.

The founder of the denomination of which I have been a lifelong member, John Wesley, of the Methodists, spoke a message about the use of money. Taking off from our Lord’s words as recorded in Luke 16:8-9, which reads, “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” He also commended those who are faithful in little will be faithful in much and those who are dishonest in little will be dishonest in much.

John Wesley gave counsel on the use of money that I think is still helpful to us today. His maxim was, “Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” We should work to gain all we can so long as we do not labor so hard as to harm ourselves physically, mentally or emotionally. And as long as we do it ethically and morally right. That is, as long as we don’t gain while harming our neighbor; as Wesley wrote, “We cannot study to ruin our neighbor’s trade, in order to advance our own.” There is nothing wrong with working hard and gaining great riches.

Secondly, we should save all we can. “Do not throw the precious talent into the sea… Do not throw it away in idle expenses, which is just the same as throwing it into the sea. Expend no part of it merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life.”

That is probably the hardest of the maxims for our day and age, because all of us, myself included, like to have the “pleasures of life.” If we are out buying everything to solely please our eye or fill our bellies to overflowing, or if we are doing it to make ourselves great in the eyes of others, we are spending for the wrong reasons. Wesley may have been a little bit of an austere man, but I think his greater desire was for us to have the means by which we could live out the third maxim; to give all you can.

For he saw so much trouble and hardship in life as he traveled about England, that he knew those who believed in the God of life and in His Son, had great hearts, as do we now who follow Him, that they and we would want to do all we can to be of help to those who are struggling to make it. To give to the great needs and causes of our day that helps the desperate and needy, to raise them up so that they may live the good life. To remember we are placed here by our Creator as stewards of all He has given us, that He has entrusted to us, for a season, the goods of the land, knowing we are not our own, but His. To care for our own, our family, our children, and then if there is a surplus, to the “household of faith,” and then if further surplus, “as you have opportunity, do good unto all men.”

(The Rev. Stephen P. King is Pastor of Madison and Rose Park United Methodist churches. Call him at [540] 948-6176.)