Wesley Challenge – Week 1

Well, that title is a lie, I have been doing the Wesley Challenge for more then one week, but for my church family, this is the first week.  In my personal devotions I have been spending the past two months focusing on the first seven questions, the ones about my relationship with God.

1.  Is Jesus real to me?
2. Am I enjoying prayer?
3. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
4. Did the Bible live in me today?
5.  Did I disobey God in anything?
6. Do I pray about the money I spend?
7. Do I give time for the Bible to speak to me every day?

When I started this journey I would say that my spiritual growth was moving at its same old steady rate…just moving ahead…not stalled…just moving at that same old rate…here I am…living my life…doing my thing…the same speed everyday.

Then I started to do the questions and whoa!  It didn’t happen all at once, it was a slow start, but once the momentum picked up, I could feel it.  My personal spiritual growth went from slow and steady speedy quick.  All because I stopped focusing on the head and started to focus on the heart.  It is like God has opened up some new rooms in my heart to work on, to clean out and it feels great.  Well, that might be a bit of a lie.  It actually felt a little uncomfortable at first, it meant being brutally honest with myself.  That was hard.  Ugh, I had let my personal Bible reading slip, I justified all the Bible reading I do at work as personal Bible reading.  I was not praying about the way I spend money.  I was having fun spending it, but was it on the right things, in the right way?  Why was I feeling so bad about all those little games I play on iPad first thing in the morning?  What was that all about?  Was my conscience uneasy about it?!?  But I liked those games!!!!  What was I going to do with that?  AGGGG!!!  These examples and things that will remain between God and myself all hurt, it was hard, but I am on the other side of these seven questions, for now, and it feels great.  I have had a revival in my relationship with God because of these seven questions. 

Now it is time to look forward to week 2, my relationship with myself…

1.     Am I proud?

2.     Am I defeated in any part of my life?

3.     Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?

4.     Do I grumble or complain constantly?

5.     Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

6.     How do I spend my spare time?

7.     Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying? 

… and chances are, if I am honest and do this right, this might hurt a bit too.