Another Installment of Autobio, more on revival
The experience of dealing with specific sins, I found, was just the beginning of a revival, one which is continuing to this day. It is an upward trajectory which brings more freedom, more joy, more light, better relationships and more effectiveness in ministry and in life.
What has become clear to me is that there is a “vivacious cycle” which feeds this revival. It begins with intentionally nurturing my “first love” for Christ. I do this primarily through my personal worship time each morning. The best way for me is to write down my words of worship as I reflect each morning on a Psalm. I find this to be a transforming power in my spirit as well as my thoughts, will and emotions. And eventually these were put together into the devotional book “Edified.”
Along with journaling through my worship time is the practice of praising God in and for all things. To give thanks for what God has allowed when I don’t want to do so is an expression of faith in the character of God and a chance to give Him glory. As I do this consistently, I see how He works things out, showing His love, wisdom, power and grace. That stokes the fire of my “first love” even more.
Then, out of the increase of my first love, flows an ongoing revival. Seeing more of the holiness and greatness of God brings into stark relief another of my sins. I can then confess, repent and forsake this sin, and fight more effectively against it.
This is followed by the third factor in this “vivacious cycle”: having a worldview shift. We all have a natural worldview, which clashes in many ways with a biblical world view.
As I worship God, and move ahead in revival, I see more clearly in my Bible reading where my natural thoughts, understanding and desires oppose God’s ways. Then I can reject my wrong, natural thinking and shift over to God’s higher ways of thinking and acting.
This then leads to further worship, which fuels my revival, which leads to more worldview shifting, which leads to….. well, you get the idea.
This is a never-ending process of walking further and further into the freedom Jesus bought for us on the cross. His freedom gives us the ability to choose what is right, to follow Him, to walk in His light.
