In using all means, seek God alone. In and through every outward thing, look only to the power of His Spirit, and the merits of His Son. Beware you do not get stuck in the work itself; if you do, it is all lost labor. Nothing short of God can satisfy your soul. Therefore, fix on Him in all, through all, and above all...Remember also to use all means as means-as ordained, not for their own sake.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes focusing on God above all else while utilizing worldly means as tools, not ends in themselves.
John Wesley's quote highlights the importance of anchoring one's spiritual life in God, urging individuals to utilize earthly efforts and means as a way to connect with the divine rather than as the ultimate goal. It warns against becoming so absorbed in the tasks at hand that one loses sight of their spiritual purpose, asserting that true fulfillment and satisfaction can only be found in a relationship with God.
In practice
In a sermon about life's priorities, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of focusing on spiritual fulfillment.
I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God's creational intentions.
I plainly felt that, had God given me such a retirement with the companion I desired, I should have forgotten the work for which I was born and have set up my rest in this world.
I asked long ago,'What must I do to be saved?' The Scripture answered, 'Keep the commandments, believe, hope, love.' I was early warned against laying, as the Papists do, too much stress on outward works, or on a faith without works, which as it does not include, so it will never lead to true hope or charity.
Prayer is where the action is.
I saw that giving even all my life to God (supposing it possible to do this and go no further) would profit me nothing unless I gave my heart, yea, all my heart, to Him.
Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.
The prayer life does not consist of perpetual repetition of petitions. The prayer life consists of life that is always upward and onward and Godward
All I did was pray to God, every day. In prison camp, the main prayer was, 'Get me home alive, God, and I'll seek you and serve you.' I came home, got wrapped up in the celebration, and forgot about the hundreds of promises I'd made to God.
The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes.
If we really want to achieve true prayer, we must turn our backs upon everything temporal, everything external, everything that is not divine.
[Our] first and foremost duty [is] to seek the Lord until we open the path of communication from God to our own soul.
When we discern that people are not going on spiritually and allow the discernment to turn to criticism, we block our way to God. God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.