Have you ever considered what our world might look like if faith was not just something we believed, but something we lived so visibly that it became an unmistakable act of grace? If you have felt the warmth of God’s love, then you have likely seen this in action, maybe through a kind word or a patient hand.
This very idea is the heart of an invitation from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, who offered a framework for living known as the General Rules.
Rule 1: Do no harm
With a sense of newness, I began to explore this first rule, not just by reading, but by trying to live it out each day. The first rule, as simple as it sounds, is to do no harm. It was a wakeup call, like a child suddenly balancing on a bicycle for the first time, realizing the world rushes by differently. With each intentional pause in my day, I started asking myself if my actions, my words, even my jokes, were causing harm to others or myself. The truth is, I discovered I wasn’t as good at this as I thought I was, and this realization became a call to action.
While we all know there are obvious evils in the world meant to instill fear or hatred, some harms are subtle. Often, the one causing the injury is the last to notice it, as the person being harmed feels its sting most deeply. But the tragic reality is that sometimes even well-meaning people can cause pain without realizing it. We can become so used to certain traditions or ways of doing things that we mistake familiar habits for what is just and loving.
This rule challenges us to hold up a mirror, to see our part in the world’s hurts with open eyes, and to choose compassion over self-interest.
When we feel tired or hungry, we might ignore our body’s needs, and this is a simple way we can cause harm to ourselves. When we push ourselves too hard and punish our mistakes, we are not practicing kindness toward our own minds. When we see sadness in someone’s eyes but hold back words of comfort, we choose silence over connection.
The call to do no harm asks us to face these choices without making excuses, to listen with an open heart, and to bear our share of responsibility for creating a safer, more loving world.
Rule 2: Do good
Beyond simply avoiding harm, our journey of faith calls us to actively seek out opportunities for goodness in our communities. The second rule guides us to do good. Our love for God is always connected to our love for our neighbors, and our good works are the evidence of our faith in action. It’s one thing to have a moral standard, but when we ask ourselves, "Am I truly doing good here?", our path becomes clearer and our convictions stronger.
Without taking action, we leave space for cruelty to grow. Doing good shows the world what we stand for.
Sometimes, we choose the easiest path instead of serving with a spirit of excellence, and this is where we can fall short. We might focus on what feels good to give, rather than what is genuinely needed by others. We can even judge our own goodness without ever asking the people we are trying to help what they truly need.
This call to holiness pushes us to ask complex questions and to stretch our compassion every single day, for every single person. I am reminded of stories from the Civil Rights Movement, where people who were once strangers in a racially divided society grew into friends by simply starting a conversation, and that simple act of good led to profound transformation.
As people of faith, our motivation goes beyond just doing the right thing; we do good as an expression of God’s love. Like kindness itself, our call extends beyond our comfort zones, seeing every person as a child of God, no matter their choices or beliefs. Imagine someone is in danger right in front of you; you have a choice to watch them suffer or to extend a hand.
Perfection in love knows no limits and does not operate in fear. It is a radical call to love our neighbor without guarantees, embracing a lifestyle of action and accountability.
Rule 3: Attend Upon the Ordinances of God
While we strive to do no harm and do good, our ability to stay connected to this path requires us to make practical, tangible choices. The third rule asks us to attend upon the ordinances of God. This means actively engaging in the practices of our faith, like prayer, worship, and studying Scripture, to align who we are with whose we are.
I’ve found this to be especially true in seasons of grief, when the habits of faith helped me walk through moments of loss when I felt I couldn’t do it on my own. These practices become a kind of spiritual muscle memory, a lifeline that keeps us centered.
When we choose to practice our faith, we are choosing to reciprocate the loving covenant God has already offered us. Our faith practices with God guide how we build relationships with one another, fostering open hearts instead of judgment. So often, we are told to avoid difficult conversations about politics or other disagreements, but how can we grow if we are unwilling to talk through our differences?
Our relationship with God is a dialogue, and through that communication, we are better prepared to engage with the world in a loving way. The ordinances of God, from quiet prayers to shared traditions, sustain our flame and prepare us to live out our faith in the pursuit of perfection in love.
Rev. Linda Furtado has a rich background in both the arts and ministry as a clergywoman out of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church. She earned a degree in Music Education from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master’s in Arts and Christian Ministries from Asbury Theological Seminary. She has written, performed, and directed programs in spirituality and the arts, worship, media, and technology across faith-centered businesses, non-profit organizations, and local congregations. You can explore more of her writings for insights and reflections on the General Rules and other topics.
This story was published on September 22, 2026. The contact is Laura Buchanan.
