WESLEY'S CATCH-22

Towards the end of his life, John Wesley published an essay entitled Thoughts Upon Methodism in which he expressed one of his main fears regarding the movement he had founded.

The fear was straightforward: 

Wesley maintained that there is an inverse relationship between wealth and faith: in any culture when riches increase, the "essence of religion" decreases proportionately. And he defined "essence of religion" as "the mind that was in Christ" (Phil. 2:5).

There is Scriptural backing for this: "Has God not chosen the poor to be rich in faith?"- James 2:5

Wesley explained: "Therefore do I not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any revival of true religion to continue long. For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality. And these cannot but produce riches."

"But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches." 

Even in his lifetime, Wesley saw Methodism's "spirit ... swiftly vanishing away". 

His solution was this: "If those who gain all they can, and save all they can, will likewise give all they can, then the more they gain, the more they will grow in grace, and the more treasure they will lay up in heaven." 

But that's a tall order, isn't it?