Inside Out and Outside In
Ah, that Sunday morning feeling. You hear a great message and you’re fired up to go out and live your faith. Then, you get to the parking lot and people are driving like maniacs, someone is rude at your lunch place, and your friend bails on the plans you had. That Sunday morning feeling? Gone. Maybe it’s more serious for you. A breakup, a death, a disease, financial troubles – all of these things can cause us to feel further and further away from revival. Fortunately, God is good and he can use anything to bring us back! In my life, I’ve seen him use three primary tools to revive me from times of stress, heartache, or even too much busyness.
The first is PEOPLE. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Sometimes God uses our friends to sharpen us into more Christlike living. Do you have friends like this? Think about all of the people you interact with on a daily basis. Let their faces run through your mind. Now, think about only those people who you consider close to you. Was the second group smaller? For most of us, that “close” group is a fraction of the large group – we would call that our “inner circle.” Of course, our spouses, children, and other family members will probably show up in this circle. But there’s a whole other group that I’d like to focus on. Our friends. What is a friend exactly? One of the best definitions I’ve read recently states that a friend is a person you take the time to understand and allow to understand you. Do you hear the choice there? Much like you choose to step into the larger circle of community, you choose who gets to know you on a deeper level.
The second is CIRCUMSTANCES. Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God uses everything- even the things that we don’t like- to stimulate us toward holiness and bring revival to our souls. Romans 8 was authored by the Apostle Paul and it was intended to give the Romans an in-depth description of the Christian spiritual life. We find this verse towards the end as Paul is addressing living by the power of the Spirit in the midst of suffering and pain. Paul himself was no stranger to suffering and pain so he was fairly qualified to speak on the subject. He didn’t speak this verse lightly – it was not meant to be a Pollyanna, rose-colored glasses view of the world. And if you look at the text of the verse, this promise is directed right to us as Christians through the words “of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Because of this, I believe our responsibility to live in the truth of this verse is huge. Paul told us this so that we could boldly be the hands and feet of Jesus, pushing back the darkness in the world and knowing that God was for us. I know that I have certainly misunderstood and misapplied this verse in the past. There are two key parts that I think we run the risk of misinterpreting – the words “all things” and the word “good.” When we read this, we are sometimes tempted to squish up the words and come away with an understanding that “all things” ARE “good.” There are some who secretly doubt the truth of this verse because of this misinterpretation. And the response often is “What do you mean by good?”
Sickness is not good.
Murder is not good.
Divorce is not good.
Suicide is not good.
The death of a child is not good.
To be clear, all things are not good. We live in a fallen world with evil and lots of broken people/situations. The “all things” in our lives sometimes include things we wish we never had to live through. When we look at tough situations, our danger is that we judge what we cannot see by what we can see. When tragedy strikes, if we can’t see a purpose, we assume there isn’t one. But the very opposite is true. Many of the things that make no sense when seen in isolation are in fact working together to produce something good. There is a divine synergy even in the darkest moments, a synergy that produces something positive. And the “good” that is ultimately produced could not happen any other way.
The third is SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. 1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV) says, "Train yourself to be godly." Just as every athlete must train to win, every Christian must make their faith strong through spiritual disciplines. Nobody can sit on the couch eating Cheetos for months and hope to compete. The best athletes are intensely disciplined. They intentionally train their bodies into peak physical condition, so when the time comes to perform, they are ready. We know this is true for our physical condition, but there’s a disconnect with how we think about our spiritual condition.
Nobody drifts into discipline. Just as the undisciplined body becomes sluggish, the undisciplined spirit becomes weak. So what are these disciplines? Simply put, the spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers. These are things like Bible study, prayer, fasting, confession, worship, fellowship, rest, celebration, service, generosity, solitude, and disciple-making. (note: this is not an exhaustive list!)
When we engage in the disciplines, God revives us from the inside out. When He uses people and circumstances, the process works from the outside in. And in all of it, we find our souls revived and ready to walk forward in His kingdom!
Erin is a speaker and leadership development professional who has been in the learning and development field for over 12 years. She has a unique ability to engage with her audience and create learning experiences that inspire change and action. She is poised, articulate and delivers her message with passion.
Erin feels that God has called her to use her professional skills to further His kingdom. She is passionate about helping people develop skills and knowledge that will empower them to answer Jesus’ call in their lives and understand how they are uniquely wired to respond to His leading. See Erin's other writings at: www.erhspeaks.com