Oxford's Holy Club

The past three weeks or so I've been going through boxes that we were keeping under our house in a storm room.  We found out about six weeks ago that everything in that room was molding!  Not good, since it held the Christmas tree, my fall decorations, all my wreaths and the list goes on. 
The box that upset me the most was my keepsake box.  It's been safely kept in the shed for 13 1/2 years but now it had some mold in it so I've been going through it a little each day.  (It's a big box and mostly letters and papers.)
  I have laughed, cried, and shook my head at much of what I've read.  I've asked myself why I kept every little card given to me. I have laughed at Niki's early, early days of poetry, Alicia's nighttime notes she left her daddy and I and the boys birthday party decorations and special artwork and notes.  I've been surprised to see how much Nathan wrote to people and talked about his schoolwork!  I've enjoyed notes and letters talking about Nevin's love of costumes and playing Civil War, cowboy and frontiersman. 
  I've found letters from friends and church members from long ago that have made me happy and sad.  I've read many letters from my mother and from friends and realized we really don't change much over time.  Those that complained about everything early in their lives are still complaining when I talk to them, those that kept a good attitude and trust in the Lord are mostly still doing it.  I can see my children's strengths and weaknesses.  I've seen all my strengths and weaknesses and laughed ruefully that I'm still fighting many of my early besetting sins--however, I am walking in victory in most of them!  Time (and learning to "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ are wonderful lessons to learn) is a helpful thing in our lives.
  Today I want to quote a paper that I had copied that had been a great help to me when I was a young mother and had just surrendered all to the Lord.  It is convicting but good!  I quote:
   The members of the Holy Club in Oxford in John Wesley's day examined themselves every Sunday on the love of God and the simplicity of their faith; on Monday, they examined themselves on their love toward their fellowmen and submitted themselves to twenty-seven quiestions; and so on throughout the week.  Here are some of the questions:
1.  Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am a better woman than I really am.  In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2.  Am I honest in all my acts or words or do I exaggerate?
3.  Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told me in confidence?
4.  Can I be trusted?
5.  Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
6.  Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7.  Did the Bible live in me today?
8.  Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
9.  Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else with the object of trying to win that person for Christ?
11. Am I making contacts with other people and using them for the Master's glory?
12. Do I pray about the money I spend?
13. Do I get to bed in time and get up in time?
14. Do I disobey God in anything?
15. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
16. Am I defeated in any part of my life, jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
20. Is there anybody whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?  If so, what am I doing about this?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

Whew...I don't know about you, but a few of those stung!  I am adding them to my current event book of things that must be deal with.  Thank You Lord for reminding me of those things that I need to change.
Applying these truths to our lives will definitely help bring revival in our lives. 
Let's each pick the one we need to work on the most and begin to take steps immediately to remove or add to our life what the Holy Spirit desires to enable us to obey in!

Love,

Mom