Revival

It’s Spring, a time when people spruce up around their homes and property.  Outside they plant flowers, trim unruly bushes, and generally perk things up.  Same thing inside, we box up unwanted clothes, and knick knacks, put up new curtains, anything that makes the place look revived. When you hear the word revive/revival, what does it bring to mind?  Sans dictionary, I broke it down into  two parts, “re”, to do something over or return to a previous state, and “vive”, meaning  life, living or alive.  So, the verb revive is defined as returning something to its former, “alive” self.  A plant, after a long winter, needs pruning, mulching, fertilizing and water to allow it to bloom and grow again.  A grand old house can be revived to its former glory,  with plenty of remodeling, and a cold drink hydrates a long distance runner.  From a Christian perspective, a revival (noun) brings to mind a huge white tent, reverberating with the roar of a swoopy-haired evangelist preaching fire and brimstone to starched ladies and gents, fanning themselves on a humid  July evening. The more I thought about it, the more clarity I received.  In either scenario the thing, be it flora, fauna or otherwise, to be revived must have been alive at some point.  Many people and church revivals, entreat God to send renewal, but my question is, where they ever really alive in Christ?  By that phrase I mean, as an individual, have you, not your parents or church, ever made the decision to be reborn and serve Christ? To willingly die to the old, carnal self and be made a new creation in Him?  If you have never done so, you can never say you have ever been spiritually alive, and true revival is impossible. Yes, we live and breathe, but the only genuine life is the one lived through Jesus. Even to those who choose to serve him,  “life” can get buried beneath our cares, that’s when he comes to revive us, returning to us the original joy of our salvation. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.