Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. –Ephesians 5:17, 18
I have a friend who not only is a pastor, but also preaches revivals at other churches throughout the year. He was telling me of a church in which he preached and the people had not been responsive. In fact, he said they had sat there each night, staring at him and looking bored with the entire event. He later relayed to the pastor of the church that he didn’t believe the people were very excited about the revival meetings. “Well, I’ll tell you something,” the pastor said. “I don’t worry too much about that because I certainly don’t want my congregation going charismatic.” My friend then replied, “Brother, you have nothing to worry about.”
I find that this describes many believers; for some reason there is a resistance to the movement of God’s Spirit in our lives. That is a sad reality, for the blessings of such an outpouring of God’s Spirit are truly wonderful and life-changing. Why are so many Christians seemingly afraid of a genuine spiritual encounter with the Lord? Could it be that we are fearful of what that encounter might reveal? There may be areas in our lives that need to be brought under the guidance and submission of the will of God. These could include wrong attitudes, bad habits, moral issues, a cynical outlook, or a lack of commitment to Christ. Any or all of these would require a true spirit of repentance and a seeking of the Lord to help overcome them.
The good news is that the Lord is always willing to help us overcome the negative aspects of our lives when we come to Him in sincere faith. The Scripture teaches that the Lord will not despise a contrite spirit and a humble attitude (Psalm 51:17). In fact, that is just the sort of attitude God is looking for in His followers. The Lord will not turn away someone who comes to Him genuinely seeking a diving and life-changing experience of faith and worship.
Never be afraid of moving in closer to the Lord. God is ever inviting us into a closer walk with Him that we might be stronger, have greater faith, deeper devotion, greater concern for our fellow man, and spiritual power to stand firm in the face of life’s struggles. Where are you in your walk with Christ today? Are you in need a spiritual renewal and revival? The Lord stands ready to revive, renew, and empower.
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