Thursday 2nd July

I read an article about an incredible Church leader today. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist movement. Listen to this...

"John Wesley traveled 250,000 miles on horseback, averaging twenty miles a day for forty years; preached 4,000 sermons; produced 400 books; knew ten languages. At eighty-three he was annoyed that he could not write more than fifteen hours a day without hurting his eyes, and at eighty-six he was ashamed he could not preach more than twice a day. He complained in his diary that there was an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning."

Wow, what a man! But how did he do it? I think part of the answer lies in the fact that he was incredibly proactive. He didn't just wait for God to bring people to him. He took the initiative and went for it! And the results were incredible - conversion after conversion. God blessed his proactivity.

I like spending time with proactive people; it's why I love working with the staff team here at the Forge. Rather than just letting things happen, they all take the initiative and move things forward. It's exciting; it's exhilarating; it's how it should be!

Every church needs to be proactive. If not, it quickly stagnates and its vitality is lost. Somehow, proactivity and God's blessing seem to be intrinsically linked. I think it is called 'partnership!'

I really warm to Ruth in Chapter 2 (not as much as Boaz does in Ch 3&4, but that's another story!) She doesn't just depend on Naomi or wait for life to get better. She becomes proactive, takes the initiative and heads out to the harvest fields to get food. (Ruth 2:2-3) And look what happens... as she works, God blesses and provides! It's partnership again. Ruth is proactive and God rewards.

Do you feel stuck in some area of your life? Are you waiting for God to turn up and act on your behalf? Well, maybe we can all follow Ruth's example and learn to take the first step of resolving the problem by being proactive. And when God acts, celebrate your partnership together.

A final thought... when were you last proactive in overcoming a difficulty, growing your marriage, sharing your faith, getting back in contact with an old friend? Go on, take a risk today and go for it!