In a Seeing Goodness gathering tonight on Clubhouse, several of us were familiar with these words attributed to John Wesley:

Do all the good you can

By all the means you can

In all the ways you can

In all the places you can

At all the times you can

To all the people you can

As long as ever you can

At least we thought these were Wesley's words. Some researchers and writers claim that the words were attributed to Wesley in error. Here's one such well-sourced article by Kevin Watson.

At this point, it matters less to me who wrote them. It matters more that they are read, heard, and taken to heart. 

It's rare to see a 19th century portrait like this of someone so clearly smiling. Perhaps John Wesley lived by words above, and that make him a happier person. Doing good does do the soul good. 


Do you have a poem or verse that inspires and motivates you to do more good in the world?

If so, please share it in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Alexander Hay Ritchie (1822-1895) c1874 above portrait of John Wesley is included in the the collections of the Library of Congress. Wesley was "was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Methodist movement that continues to this day." (Wikipedia entry.)

The Time cover story article which served as a springboard to our conversation is here: Want to Do More Good? This Movement Might Have the Answer.

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