It starts with you

How many times have we heard it said ... it starts with you ... do we really know or understand what it means?  We sit in churches today and wonder what is wrong with the people, the worship, the pastor .... We go to God (maybe) and have a conversation that might sound a little bit like this .... we ask the proverbial question why don't they, she or he meet my needs, sing my songs, preach the way I want him too?  If I was so and so or such and such I sure would do it differently.  Well I guess that's the key, we ain't them, her or him.  So then we ask why Lord, why and if we sit still and remain quiet long enough we just might hear the answer and more times than not the answer isn't what we want to hear .... "What about you?" ....but Lord if only they would do it my way .... "What about you?"

So God is asking each of us, what about you ... We seek change, we seek life, we seek revival in our churches but when was the last time any of us really prayed for the pastor, the worship team, the people .... when was the last time we prayed that God would show us how we could be supportive instead of judgemental? When was the last time we went to the church for God instead of ourselves?  When was the last time we asked for God to empty us and fill us with You oh Lord?

You want change, be the change, you want revival then ask God to start with you ....

Start with me God. Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

We've got to remember that all those folks we want to see changed belong to God. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

True revival starts in our heart .... those big crashing waves we see on the beach didn't start out that way, it takes momentum for those things to grow and revival starts in the heart of one; so today let it be you.  Let the tidal wave of revival in your church start with you. For it is Christ who is our hope and when your hope is in the Lord it don't matter what happens around you.

1 Timothy 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. 

(from the NAMES OF CHRIST by Horton and Hurlburt) He is  "Our Hope." His promises assure us and fix our faith upon Him. He is the center of the life of a true believer.  We could not think of the coming glory without eyes fixed upon Him.  The incentive of a loyal life is to please Him.  What could be more satisfying after a day of toil and burden bearing than to remember how His Word was our comfort and His promises our peace? We look at the rising sun as it bathes the mountain peaks with its glory, and at the glittering stars at night:  They foretell the coming of the glorious day when He will have us with Himself.

Lord,  our Hope, our faith is fixed on You.  Help us to rest upon You each day.  You are an anchor to our soul.  Amen