Day 1: Revival Begins with You

New year, new you, right? We all hear it even before the month of January begins, beckoning you to come up with a neat list of resolutions that you will magically fulfill simply because it is a new year. Excuse the sarcasm, resolutions are really great. Goals are needed. Vision is a MUST.

Unfortunately, we often throw together a resolution that sounds good, seems somewhat attainable and we do it for a few weeks maybe even a couple of months if we are good, but very few make it throughout the whole year.

However, there is something we cannot keep putting on the back-burner of our daily, weekly, yearly, lifetime goals: our faith. It can often be seen in the Christian community that around this time of year we come up with a list of things we want to “do” as a resolution involving our faith (or what we call faith) like: reading our Bibles more, volunteering with more and/or different areas of ministry, going to church more, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of those things but honestly, if any of it isn’t truly out of an overflow of God’s love in our hearts, it’s just another one of life’s many to-do lists. And does the world really need anymore busybodies trying to fulfill daily tasks? No. What the world needs is the church—yes, you and I.

The world needs revival and a fresh revelation from the Lord.

We need to have dreams and visions and goals. But if they are not centered on God, if it is not the result of the Father's heart reflecting in our lives, then these dreams and visions will not change lives, bring true, lasting change, and draw more into the Kingdom.

So this year, actually this whole life, let’s focus less on our generic “30 Days to a Beach Bod” challenges, and more on simply being what God called us to be, on simply being with Him and in love with Him. Let’s not make spending time in the Saviors presence another thing to cross off the list, but let’s make it a priority, set aside time every day, not out of obligation but out of adoration of our King. Revival and lasting change comes when we are in deep love with God. We can't expect that from the world if we aren't experiencing that in our own lives.

Again, there is nothing wrong with goals and ambition, those are absolutely needed…

but in order for us to accomplish the callings on our lives, we have to live less out of a task-mentality lifestyle and more out of loving intent.

Want to see the world love Jesus? Want to see your friends and family come to know God? Revival beings with you. Let’s start living out of the love lavished so unconditionally on us, every day, every moment, every year.

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

"Without revelation people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy." Proverbs 29:18

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Cami