SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING

SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING
by Dr. Glenn Mathews

Most every believer with a desire to be Christ like would agree that the average Christian and the average church is in desperate need of revival. If the church could be compared to a sailing ship that is dependent upon the wind to move it, then that ship and the church is sitting in the doldrums, with no wind, and no progress being made. Yet, there is no widespread revival.

There are many reasons why there is no revival in America. More than a few people have written books on the subject – why it tarries, what would produce it, etc. I have read such books and have profited spiritually from them. However, the thought that occurred to me in the past few days is not often discussed in those books on revival. The thought is this:

In the ideal Christian life, revival would not be needed. In fact, the ideal Christian life would not even regard the word “revival” as relevant.

To say that one (you, me, the church in general) needs revival is to admit that we are not living the Christian life as it was intended to be lived. To say that one needs revival is to admit that we have declined in the intimacy of our relationship with Christ – that we have lived beneath our privileges and responsibilities as a Christian. Such an admission is difficult for us to make, for we all wish to think that we are AOK in our relationship with Christ. To
say that we have “lived beneath” is this: we have failed to keep our “contract”, i.e., our lifestyle that is to be lived in accordance with His will and accomplished by His indwelling presence and enabling power. We instinctively wish to keep our hands on the helm of the ship, even if we are making no progress. If, instead of the steady breeze of the Holy Spirit, we encounter storms that toss us to and fro, then we want the Lord to take the helm of the ship. That, however, is not revival. That is merely an act of desperation! Even after the Lord has brought us through the storm, we again tend to take control of the helm, even though the storm may have blown us far off our desired course. Oh, that we would learn that Jesus’ word is right when he says, “without me, ye can (keep right on doing) do nothing”!

Revival, as a noun, is neither a person, nor a place. Revival, then, must be a “thing”. Does not our Lord tell us (Matt. 6:33) to seek “first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added” to us? Indeed, if we were constantly seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, (instead, even, of seeking revival), would not we “have” revival? Perhaps we should be praying to know more of His kingdom and His righteousness – to devote ourselves to the incorporation of His kingdom and His righteousness in our lives – and continue to pursue them until revival (as a “thing”) is added to us.

In 31 years of evangelism/missions, I have heard two songs more often than any other songs. Those songs are “Revive Us, again” and “It Is Well with My Soul”. Odd, that these two should be the most often sung during meetings. Although I like the song “Revive Us, Again), it says nothing about the recognition of our condition, or of the repentance that is essential to experience revival. As for “It is Well With My Soul”, perhaps one reason for no revival is the fact that “it is too well” with our souls, i.e., we are living within our comfort zone and do not sense the need to “hunger and thirst after (His) righteousness”. The vast majority of church members who attend fundamental, Bible believing churches, have never experienced revival.

Surely, one of the reasons is that we have not had revival is that we have decided we can do without it. May God help us to seek “first the kingdom of God and His righteous”. Surely, such seeking and living will produce a life within us that does not “need” revival. SELAH

P.S. I may have more to say about this in a later article.