If the title of this post alarmed you, let me assure you, I am still in love with Jesus and following Him with my whole life. But I have been challenged with my narrow-mindedness.
For the last 8 years in ministry, the word “revival†has been quite a buzz word. We would pray, contend, and believe for revival in cities and nations around the world. You could ensure a good prayer if you asked for it. 🙂
Yet, in the last few months, I am forced to think about what the word really means.
If I am honest, in my prayers for revival, it would be praying that all of a sudden lots of people get saved and join some sort of Christian community.In some ways, my prayers might have been a bit etherial, hard to define.
Is God etherial? Is He limited to the spiritual world? Does He leave us alone to figure out the physical world?
I have to say a big fat NO!
God is real. He is more than an idea and He certainly affects our lives. ALL of our lives- not just our heart. Surely, His kingdom coming is more than just more people in a church or bible study.
I had shrunk God’s love down to just being a saving of the soul. But He has created us and put us in a place, a culture, a life- that He cares about.
His Kingdom includes all of life and not just the “spiritual”​
Jesus said that He came to give us life and life abundantly. I can’t imagine abundant life only concerning our inner-life.
- What does it look like when God invades our art, music and expressions?
- What does our national and local government look like, when revival comes?
- What is God’s dream for education in our city?
- I know God cares about our financial world and all that’s involved in it- how does that transform under the ways and power of God?
These are just a few questions I had hardly considered.
Imagine being alive when Jesus walked the earth. What if we only waited at the temple for Jesus to come? We would miss out on the rest of life that Jesus impacted. I realized I had boxed Jesus in to areas that seemed spiritual, when actually, God is involved in all of life.
I don’t know about you, but I would want to be apart of every area of life Jesus touched.
Colossians 1:16-17 – “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Visible and invisible. All of life, including our hearts.
He is the God of all.
He is the one that cares about our hearts and our finances. He cares about our holiness and our artistic expression. He cares about our family and how we learn. He cares about our life, because He made it.
I fully believe revival is a reality. But I don’t have to wait for a magical movement. God wants to transform all of our life and the life of our city.
Have you ever had similar thoughts?
What area of His kingdom are you passionate about seeing transformed?