We live in an increasingly complicated, fast-paced, and frenzied world. Technology brings the world to us and makes us available 24/7 – cell phones, text messages, e-mails – which is generally a good thing. But this is not always in our soul’s best interest. By being available 24/7, we’re always “on.” As a consequence, we can feel “trapped” into becoming something we don’t really wish to be. And we can get pulled in so many directions that we lose touch with any core sense of meaning and direction in life. Is there a way, we wonder, to cut through the complexities and turbulence of our modern lives and put our feet on some bedrock?

As United Methodists, we have a life-enhancing treasure from our Wesleyan heritage: 3 simple rules that have dramatically changed the world and which, when applied to our lives, can dramatically change us. These 3 simple rules are ... 1) Do no harm, 2) Do good, and 3) Stay in love with God.

3 SIMPLE RULES: TREASURES FROM OUR METHODIST HERITAGE
“Do No Harm”

  1. Our Methodist heritage is a treasure, like “Gibson.” From it come 3 simple rules:
    1. 1) Do no harm, 2) Do good, and 3) Stay in love with God.
  2. God’s prevenient grace brings us knowledge that there is a God; our response is to choose to turn toward God ( “repentance” = turning back toward God and living in a new way).
    1. Even the ability to make this choice is a gift of God’s grace!
    2. Methodists call this movement of God’s grace, “justifying grace.”
      1. justifying grace; our response – repentance
      2. Through justifying grace, God frees me from the guilt of sin.
      3. This brings about a relative change in my relationship to God: I am declared “not-guilty,” even though I am still a sinner at heart.
  3. The rest of the story is that by the power of the Holy Spirit, God then acts to bring about real change in me, to make me more like Christ.
    1. Methodists call this movement of God’s grace, “sanctifying grace.”
      1.   God’s work – sanctifying grace; our response – works of mercy (“do no harm,” “do good” – outer response) and works of piety (“stay in love with God” – inner response)
      2.   Through sanctifying grace, God frees me from the power of sin.
      3. This brings about a real change in me and thus my relationship to God: I becoming more loving of God and others, just like Christ.
    2. The 3 simple rules are NOT a way to earn brownie points with God.
  4. Simple rule #1 – “do no harm”
    1. Others: gossip, speaking disparagingly of others, manipulating facts to suit our side of the issue; etc.
    2. The world: we are appointed stewards of God’s creation (Gen. 1), our use of limited natural resources; our carbon footprint; etc.
    3. Myself: physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally
  5. Why would anyone choose NOT to follow simple rule #1?
    1. we actually do NOT trust that God will empower and lead us.
    2. we have allowed ourselves to get so locked in to a particular ideology or even theology that trumps our loyalty to Jesus Christ.
    3. we’re afraid of the consequences of following it
  6. In choosing to live this way of life, we do not do so alone! God is with us! 

Follow my experiment of living the 3 simple rules in July. Read my blog at brobob53.wordpress.com!