Francis Asbury was the leader of the Methodist Church in America, from the late 1700s to 1816. Remaining single his entire life for the sake of the gospel, Francis crossed the Appalachian Mountains by horse over sixty times and endured constant sickness and injuries to spread the gospel through the new nation. During his ministry, the Methodist Church in America grew from 600 to 214,000 members. He rode and walked hundreds of miles every month, preached thousands of sermons and died at the age of 71, propped up in a chair and lifting his hands in worship.
At his memorial service Ezekiel Cooper, one of Francis' disciples, asked those in attendance this question:
What could he do that he did not do? For he exhausted all his strength, broke down his constitution, spent his talents and his all, and wore out his life, for the good of man and for the glory of God.
Reading this, I was greatly struck by the question and asked myself, "Will people be able to say this about me when I am gone?"
What could we do for the Kingdom of God that we are not doing? What strength, talent or possession do we have that aren't fully in the service of our Lord Jesus? Will we be able to, in all honesty, make that statement about one another when the end of our earthly life comes?
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
Run for the prize. Spend yourself for the gospel and the glory of our God.
Essene Press Team
