When I was growing up, my church had 2 revivals a year, one in the springtime and one in the winter. During the week of the revival, my sister, brother, and I were dragged to the church each night. I can’t speak for my sister, but I can guarantee you that my brother and I did everything we could to amuse ourselves while we waited though the boring service. We dreaded “Revival Week,” and hated the way it intruded on our personal lives.
Years later I was having a discussion with another pastor about youth work and “revivals.” I told him my exact thoughts about the subject. He patiently listened to me, and then challenged me to look up the term in a dictionary. I went home, grabbed the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language off my desk and looked up the word. The first definition gave me fuel for my next discussion. It told me revival meant a person was restored to use after a period of obscurity.
I met with my friend and fired off what I thought was my discussion ending bullet. He looked at me and said “I couldn’t agree with you more. Revival is not about when something happens, it’s about what happens. It is about someone changing the negative path they are walking and with a sense of purpose walking the path God has asked them to walk. It’s about a personal change, a personal restoration.”
His statement was still ringing in my ears when I read Proverbs 10:17. Solomon writes, “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” The Hebrew word the NIV translators use for “discipline” is musar which in the Hebrew culture referred to correction and chastisement. This verse fits perfectly with the thought of personal revival. Before we can be restored, we need to accept the fact that at times, we need to be corrected and then have the correct path pointed out to us.
Being corrected allows us to see where we need to go. Seeing where to go helps us to see purpose in and for our lives. When I’m pulled toward things that aren’t good for me, Proverbs 10:17 reminds me of my purpose and what I need to correct. When I embrace correction, my focus changes along with my sense of purpose. I quit chasing those things which aren’t good for me (things addictive in nature) and focus on those things which lead me on a more positive path.
Walking that positive path gives me a sense of accomplishment which continues to feed my sense of purpose. The result of this allows me to continue to walk away from what I was caught up in, and experience a joy and happiness which eludes me when I walk the opposite path.
Revival comes at a price. The price is recognition of our wrong (our failure), followed by the humbleness to accept correction. This allows us to move forward with purpose, which then allows us to experience joy and happiness. I hate embracing correction, but the revival it brings is awesome. Why not join me as I walk this path?