As I sat pondering the topic, thinking what all it really meant, the word committed stood out to me. Do I really know what it means to be committed—committed to a deeper revival? When I think of someone who is committed, I think of a humble person who has laid down his own will and given himself wholly to the thing at hand. This is someone who is willing to give his best and follow through with that commitment. Jesus left us a prime example of commitment when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39).
In a book that I read, a phrase caught my eye. It said that “humility prefers the will of God to the favor of men.” Would this be one of the keys to staying committed to a deeper revival? Can I humbly accept God’s will and where He wants to take me? Or am I afraid to lay my all on the altar, fearing that He will ask something of me that I am not quite willing to deal with yet because of how it may affect me and who I think I am? We know that a heart that is not entirely surrendered to the Lord cannot be thoroughly cleansed and filled. We need to be willing to humbly come to God and let Him purge us from all our filthiness so that we can “be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use” (2 Tim. 2:21).
Another key in staying committed to a deeper revival has stuck with me, namely that our obedience to the Lord plays a big part in how deep He can take us. As we keep an open heart, God will show us those areas that need to be sanctified. We need to be willing to follow through and change our heart as well as the issues and attitudes that show on the outside. There is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
Have I, as a youth of today, searched my heart and found what God is asking of me? Our youth years are important, due to making different decisions that will influence the rest of our lives. We need to be willing to dig as deep as God wants us to so we can have a firm foundation to build on. I had to think of several examples of youth in the Bible times who were committed to the cause of Christ no matter what the cost would be. Daniel and his three friends purposed in their hearts to not defile themselves with food from the king’s table and later risked their lives by refusing to bow to the king’s golden image. Queen Esther was another example in how she was willing to appear before the king, also risking her life to save her people. These young people had a purpose in life that went far beyond theirselves. How does my consecration to the Lord compare? Could He use me to be His voice? His hands? His feet? Am I dedicated to serving Him even when the rivers are deep and the mountains high? With God by our sides, we cannot fail.
Let us rise to the challenge of this deeper revival, because there is a need for consecrated young people. As we give ourselves to these commitments, God will bring us to new depths. If we want to stay in these deeper waters, we will need to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow God (Luke 9:23). When we can live that self-denied life, it will be a life of fulfillment and “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
From Messenger of Truth, Youth Section, No. 10, May 16, 2012
