Bill & his resolutions

Found myself walking from Kennington Oval to the Elephant & Castle on Monday and went past 176 Kennington Park Road - this is the building where William Booth served as a pawnbroker when he moved to London in 1849. As I looked up at the attic window where he had his lodgings I thought of the resolutions that he wrote in that attic room on 6th December 1849. (See below)

RESOLUTIONS

I do promise - my God helping -

1st That I will rise every morning sufficiently early (say 20 minutes before seven o'clock) to wash, dress, and have a few minutes, not less than 5, in private prayer.

2ndly That I will as much as possible avoid all that babbling and idle talking in which I have lately so sinfully indulged.

3rd That I will endeavour in my conduct and deportment before the world and my fellow servants especially to conduct myself as a humble, meek, and zealous follower of the bleeding Lamb, and by serious conversion and warning endeavour to lead them to think of their immortal souls.

4thly That I will not read less than 4 chapters in God's word every day.

5thly That I will strive to live closer to God, and to seek after holiness of heart, and leave providential events with God.

6thly That I will read this over every day or at least twice a week. God help me, enable me to cultivate a spirit of self denial and to yield myself a prisoner of love to the Redeemer of the world.

Amen & Amen WILLIAM BOOTH.

I feel my own weakness and without God's help I shall not keep these resolutions a day. The Lord have mercy upon my guilty soul.

I claim the Blood
Yes, oh Yes,
Jesus died for me.

On Friday I am off to Roots - haven't been to Roots for 6 years but I'm going this year to hear Steve Court and Danielle - it's cheaper than going to Canada!

I have been working (in prayer) on my own resolutions over the last couple of weeks and will share them here once I am certain that they are off God. I will seek confirmation during Roots.

This is not legalism, this is not an attempt at trying to get God to bless me - this is a response to the blessing that he has already given me! This is setting parameters for his holiness in my life, the establishment of what the Private Sector calls key performance indicators - a means by which I can judge me effectiveness and development.

Love and prayers

Andrew