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Webster’s defines an overdose as an excessive dose of a narcotic. Overdosing is not something people seek. It is something that happens on its own. It occurs when the addict pushes the limit of what his or her body can handle, as they try to reach an ultimate high. The addict tries to feed his addiction without trying to reach his body’s limit and overdose. The difficulty for the addict is that he does not know what his body’s limit is. The tragedy of overdosing is that the addict no longer has control when an overdose has occurred. He is totally at the mercy of those around him for help. If he or she is alone, the result is certain death.
For too long, our culture has been addicted to materialism. In our addiction for stuff, pleasure and happiness, we have been pushing the limit of what our nation’s economy can handle. On a personal level we have stretched our credit and bank accounts to the breaking point. We have deceived ourselves into thinking that the prosperity will continue. We continue to borrow and buy in the vain pursuit of pleasure and happiness.
As we watch our buying power shrink and the economy struggle to keep its head above the flood, we are unaware that we are heading to or have already entered a state of overdosing. As we overdose, we are forced into a condition where we must look to others for help or we will die.
Tragically though, we are seeking help in the wrong places. Like most addicts, we want to shift the blame. My boss is not paying me enough. The oil companies are fleecing us. The big box stores are corrupt. The government will not help. The credit card companies need to realize that I have to live. All the while, we are continuing in the downward spiral of self-destruction.
Yet help is readily available. It only requires that I take responsibility for my addiction. It calls me to recognize that I cannot help myself. It is time that we quit shifting the blame and look to the God of the Universe for help. He has been patient with our self-absorption. He has given us the freedom to overdose on our own lusts. He offers His Son to each of us. His Son paid the price to satisfy God’s wrath toward our blatant rebellion. We need only look to Him for our help.
God help us come to the place of admitting our problem, so that we can find the freedom from our addiction that only God can offer. The time is now or it will be too late.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17 NKJV)
In the twenty three years since my coming to salvation, I have heard numerous messages and read numerous books/articles concerning prayer for revival. I have often been struck with the fact that this request for revival by God’s people is not being answered by the Lord. Recently I had a conversation with a dear friend who ministers in Canada concerning revival. He made an offhand comment that haunted me. He said “that many have prayed for revival for years, and a few have prayed with sincerity.”
The issue of “many praying for revival and a few have prayed with sincerity” plagued my thoughts for more than a week. I was struck with the concern as to whether or not my prayers for revival had been sincere. And as I wrestled with myself concerning my motives for revival, several insincere motives came to mind. These motives are connected to my concerns about the moral decline in America.
Incorrect Motive #1. Revival will clean up America
As our country continues its destructive spiral into darkness, the natural response of believers is to pray for revival in America. As I thought about it, I recognized that I have begun to view revival as the “cure-all” for the social ills of our country. I held to a concept that stated “We need to pray for revival. Revival will deal with these issues. Remember how the Welsh Revival affected the community as a whole.” As I gave this motive some serious thought, two problems emerged.
First, biblical revival has to do with God’s people. By definition, revival means “coming back to life.” The nature of revival concerns the issue of God’s people coming back to life. Biblically, revival has nothing to do with nations. It has to do with God’s people. Unsaved people cannot be brought back to life when they have not experienced life in the first place.
The second problem strikes at the heart of this motive for praying. The impact on the social ills of a nation is not the aim of revival, but the by-product of it. It is the result of God’s people coming to life, not the reason for it. Sadly, I have to admit that I have been praying for revival as a cure for the social and moral chaos of our country.
Incorrect Motive #2. Revival will restore America.
As I have entered into this process of examining my motives concerning revival prayer, I had to come to grips with the fact that my patriotism was shaping my prayers. It is not hard to see that our nation is self-destructing as it indulges itself in materialism. We are watching the decline of another nation. My patriotic pride does not want that to happen. The result is a thought-process that sees revival as the instrument to turn America around. Revival becomes the instrument for restoring America to some past glory.
Two problems emerged with this motive as well. First, it assumes that God wants to restore America to some past glory. Is it possible that God does not want to restore America? Since the world is moving to the ultimate climax of Jesus Christ coming again, could the decline of our nation be a part of His ultimate plan? Is my patriotic pride coming in conflict with God’s providential will?
The next problem has to do with the restoration to some past glory. What past glory are we talking about? Every generation in the history of our nation has been marked by godlessness. Every generation has been marked by sin. Sadly the restoration that we are seeking has to do with our comfort. We long for the days when being a Christian was acceptable and respected in our culture. We do not like the antagonism that we are beginning to face in our country. This is especially true in spite of the fact that Jesus promised us that we would suffer for His sake. I have to admit that my revival praying has to do with my comfort level.
Incorrect Motive #3. Revival will make America like the church.
The third motive was subtle and deadly. It was based on the assumption that I am praying for the nation to become like the church. It assumes that everything is well concerning the heart condition of believers today. This motive is deadly because it arises out of a self-deception that the condition of the church is okay. Yet the truth is very clear that everything is not well in the church. Divorce is prevalent. Believers are guided more by the culture than the Word of God. The church is actually more like our godless culture. Therefore, my prayers were actually a reflection of my spiritual blindness to my sins, than a genuine concern for others.
Is it any wonder that God has not answered my prayers concerning revival? The question arises concerning the proper motivation for praying for revival. The answer is simple. We should pray for revival because we want God. Everything else is insignificant.
One of the greatest privileges, that a pastor can have, is the opportunity to disciple and mentor another young man. In the grace of God, I was given an opportunity to spiritually interact in the life of a young man who started attending our church last year. This young man is studying for the ministry through the distant learning program of Liberty University.
As I have entered into this mentoring relationship with this young man, I have been confronted with two examples from scripture that are polar opposites: Paul / Timothy and Eli / Samuel. While I would love to say that I am like Paul, I am struck with a fear that I am more like Eli.
We remember Eli from 1 Samuel as the High Priest of Israel. His sons had gone wrong. Even though he handled the sacred daily, no revelation of God through His word was personally revealed to him. He had to rely on the word of others to give him guidance (1 Sam. 2:27-36; 3:17-18). In fact he has to have the young man (Samuel) tell him the word of the Lord.
So as I have struggled with the fear of becoming Eli, I have been struck by three thoughts:
1. Do I handle the sacred so much that I am not communicating a real faith to my children? That is a real issue. There is a danger in being a pastor where the sacred becomes trivial and communicating that to my children.
2. Do I receive a fresh word from the Scripture daily? Or do I rely on the word that has been revealed to the young man or others? There is a danger in being a pastor where our personal walk with God can become non-existent. The end result is that we come to the place where we must rely on others for guidance from the Lord.
3. Does the information I impart come from knowledge or experience? Do I simply know about God or Do I know Him? The implication of 1 Samuel is that Eli knew how to interact with God, but the text implies that he did not experience that in his latter life.
The reality of becoming Eli is real. It is a subtle and gradual digression in one’s life, if we do not take care to watch over our souls.
Lord, grant me the grace to recognize the tendency to be Eli, and the obedience and tenderness of heart to be like Paul.
