Revival Starts With Your Heart
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).
I once heard a pastor on the radio say that a great Christian revival will begin when everyone that attends church follows God’s word and tithes 10 percent to their church. I thought to myself – yes, that would be a tremendous thing and the church universal could do great things with that money. I imagined the missions to foreign countries, feeding the homeless, programs aimed at youth, men, women, young couples, and elderly.
But then I thought, ‘a tithe should only be given out of love, not an obligation. The simple fact is that God does not need your money and His will shall be done regardless of your tithe. Your tithe is
symbolic of the spiritual condition of your heart, which concerns God much more than your tithe, bank account, and material possessions.
The Word of God in Malachi 3:10 reads, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be enough to store it.” So, by denying our tithe to God we are denying nothing to Him. However, we are denying ourselves a blessing. St. Paul sums this up beautifully in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We are told in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
I believe that revival starts when all people turn their focus on God rather than on themselves. Sin is the inevitable result of our natural tendency to focus on ourselves, our desires, our flesh, and our will. True revival will come, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). A key component of revival is for each husband in each house to submit to God and lead the way for his family to a Christ-centered life. In summary, consider the Word of God in Joshua 24:15: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Serve the Lord by giving Him your heart – your whole heart – and then YOU will may be the spark that starts the fire of revival. Revival won’t come due to giving back to God what already belongs to God (i.e., money), but it will come by giving him our heart – our whole heart.
Prayer: Dear God, Help us to humble ourselves and pray and seek Your face and turn our wicked ways, then we know You will hear from heaven, and You will forgive our sin and will heal our land. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Making a Difference in the Lives of Men
Making a Difference in the Lives of Men I encourage you to prayerfully consider joining me in donating to Rev. Mark Lubbock's ministry - Gulf South Men. Please visit Gulf South Men's website and GSMen.org to get a glimpse of the scope and impact of this ministry or give Mark a call at (225)252-3331. Mark's ministry helps men become Disciples that are servant leaders as modeled by Jesus. His work cuts across boundaries of denomination, race, age, etc. His goal is to raise up Godly men that bring Christ into their homes and families and then out into the world. There... -
Five Keys To Balancing Home And Work To Be A Good Parent
Five Keys To Balancing Home And Work To Be A Good Parent "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV). Most, if not all, of us have a job in order to supply for the needs of our family. Hopefully you enjoy your job but at the end of the day, you are working to provide for your family. We often feel the struggle between balancing work life and family life. As such, our work may sometimes cause us to miss ball games and other events and we’ll feel guilty that we’re... -
Lessons Learned In-Between A Broom Tree and a Tamarisk Tree (Part 1)
Lessons Learned In-Between A Broom Tree and a Tamarisk Tree (Part 1) “A voice said to him, Why are you here, Elijah? He replied, “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life” (1 Kings 19:13-14 NIV). The broom tree (or rotem in Hebrew) is a desert shrub that grows across Arabia and throughout the Judean wilderness. Its deep roots draw in the moisture of land that is otherwise barren. In the...
