William Law

Excerpts from 'Devotional Classics' edited by Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith William Law (1686-1761) Introduction to the Author William Law was a devout Anglican priest. His practical work was as a spiritual director (mentor/discipler) offering guidance to people who sought a closer, deeper relationship with God. the following excerpt is from his best-known work, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, a book that gay influenced the English Evangelical Revival. The simplicity and directness of the book have made it a classic among Christian devotional literature. This particular selection deals the tendency we all have to separate our religious life from our practical, daily life. Law drives home the point that Christianity is concerned not only with our faith but with our conduct as well. In the spirit of the apostle James, William Law affirms that, like a bow and an arrow, our works and our faith function as one. Excerpts from 'A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life' 1. A Life Devoted Devotion to God is neither private or public prayer, though public and private prayers are a part of devotion. Devotion signifies a life given to God. the devout, therefore, are people who do not live their own will, or in the way and spirit of the world, but only to the will of God. Such people consider God in everything, serve God in everything and make every aspect of their lives holy by doing everything in the name of God and in a way that conforms to God's glory. 2. God the Rule and Measure Now if we conclude that we must be pious in our prayers, we must also conclude that we must be pious in all other aspects of our lives. For there is no reason why we should make God the rule and measure of our prayers, why we should look wholly unto Him and pray according to His will, and yet not make Him the rule and measure of all the other actions of our life. For any ways of life, any employment of our talents whether of our bodies, our time or money that are not strictly according to the will of G, that are not done to His glory are simply absurdities and our prayers fail because they are not in accordance with the will of God. For there is no reason that our prayers should be according to the will of God unless our lives may be of the same nature. Our lives should be as holy and heavenly as our prayers. It is our duty to devote all of our action of our lives to God, to walk before Him in wisdom and holiness and to do everything in His name and for His glory. If our prayers do not lead us to this, they are of no value no matter how wise or heavenly. If we are going to pray for the Spirit of God, we must make the Spirit of God the rule of all our actions. But we cannot live wholly unto the Lord unless we live unto Him in all the ordinary actions of our lives. 3. Ridicule in the Life This is the reason that we see such ridicule in the lives of many people. Many people are strict when it comes to times and places of devotion, but when the service and the church is over, they live like those that seldom or never come there. In their way of life, their manner of spending their time and money, in their cares and fears, in their pleasure and indulgences, in their labors and diversions, they are like the rest of the world. this leads the world to make light of those who are devout because they see their devotion goes no further than their prayers.. When their prayers are over, they stop living unto God until the next time they pray. 4. The Great Absurdity Nothing is more absurd than one whose life displays a wise, sublime and heavenly habit of prayer but where there is neither work of play neither time nor money that is under the direction of God. If we were to see a person who pretends to act wholly with regard to God in everything that this person did and yet at the same time this person never prayed, whether public or private, wouldn't this be absurd? Yet this is the same thing as when one is very strict in prayer and church attendance and yet in the rest of their life; time, labor, talents and money, completely neglects the will of God. It is an absurdity to offer to God holy prayers without the accompanying holy life. 5. Rules for Daily Life The simple point is this: either Christianity prescribes rules to live by in our daily lives, or it does not. If it does then we must govern all our actions by those rules if we are to worship God. For if Christianity teaches anything about eating and drinking, spending our time and money, how we are to live in this world, what attitudes we are to have in our daily lives, how we are to be disposed toward all people, how we are to behave toward the sick, the poor, the old and destitute, how we are to treat our enemies and how we are to deny ourselves, we would be foolish to think that these teachings are not to be observed with the same strictness as those teachings that relate to prayer. What does God's Word teach us about rules for daily life? It teaches us: to renounce the world and be different in our attitudes and ways of life to renounce all of its goods, to fear none of its evils, to reject its joys and have no value for its happiness, to be as newborn babes who are born into a new state of things to live as pilgrims in spiritual watching, in holy fear an heavenly aspiring after another life, to take up our cross daily, to deny ourselves, to profess the blessedness of mourning, to seek the blessedness of poverty of spirit, to take no thought of the morrow to live in the profound state of humility, to rejoice in worldly suffering to reject the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life to bear injuries, to forgive and bless our enemies to give up our whole hearts and affections to God to strive to enter through the straight gate into a life of eternal glory. Isn't it strange that people will testify to the need to go to church and yet neglect the basic duties of our ordinary life? 6. Walking the Talk If self-denial is a condition of salvation, all who desire to be saved must make self-denial part of everyday life. If humility is a Christian then the everyday life of a Christian must show humility. If we are called to care for the sick, the naked, the imprisoned, these expressions of live must be a constant effort in our lives. If we are to e new people in Christ, then we must show our newness to the world. If we are to follow Christ, it must be in the way we spend each day. Read: James 2:14-26 Reflection 1. According to Law, in what areas of our lives should faith have influence? In what areas does your faith influence your life? 2. If, as Law believes, the vitality of one's faith is revealed by one's actions, how would you re your spiritual health? 3. What are some of the struggles that you face as you attempt to demonstrate your faith not merely in words, but in actions? 4. Describe someone you know or have known whose life impressed you. What made that person special to you? 5. In James 2:14-26 the author chastises the members of the church for thinking that faith can exist apart from action. Which do you tend to emphasize in your life, having the right beliefs or engaging in the right kinds of actions? How might James respond to you if he were here? 6. This week take an inventory of your practices and beliefs, noting the extent to which they have been shaped by the world around you. Write them out so that you can get a better idea of how your faith influences your life. 7. This week examine all your purchases. According to Law, the way we spend our money should be influenced by our faith, Keep a running log so that at the weeks end you can see where your money is going. Examine these purchases in light of Jesus' words about not storing up treasures. 8. James 2:14-26 reminds us that our faith becomes real in the way we relate to those who are less fortunate. This week donate some food or clothing to a local shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry or other ministry.