The Ultimate Comeback
Back in the day, if you were in need of a revival, you usually had to wait for one religious denomination or another to get riled up and make some changes. Nowadays? We can stop by a spa on our lunchbreak for a reviving facial. BAM! You’re “revived” in under an hour! Everything in our culture is constantly trying to tell us we are broken and how to fix it. We are definitely broken, but all these cultural cures around us are merely temporary. They may offer us relief for an hour, a day, or even a week, but if we want true, lasting revival, it has to come from God. And He has blessed us with sixty-six of the best self-help books out there!
A lot of non-believers label the Bible as outdated and archaic. In reality, even though thousands of years have passed, humanity’s struggles are still the same. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, ESV). Nothing has changed! We still don’t listen to God’s instructions (just like Adam and Eve), we are still jealous (just like Cain and Joseph’s brothers), and we still think way too much of ourselves (just like Haman, Hezekiah, and King Nebuchadnezzar). We rely far too much on ourselves to solve and heal problems instead of turning to Him and His word. Our own pride stands in the way of true revival. Charles Spurgeon once described pride as “an all-pervading sin” because it really does mess everything up!
The Bible explores this dangerous human pride countless times. It constantly interferes with our relationship with God. The book of James is an epistle containing helpful guidance for so many aspects of our lives. Chapter 4 exists as a warning against worldliness and encourages us to seek God in all matters. James gives us very clear instructions for receiving grace and explains exactly what it means to live a humble life under God. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8, ESV). Having a close, intimate relationship with our Creator is where we belong. We need to “submit” with a pure heart and stop trying to do everything ourselves. We must dissolve our selfish pride, while placing worries, doubts, and pain in God’s hands. This can be especially difficult and confusing in a society that has a human solution available for everything via Google search. By learning to release our need for control, we will draw closer to Him. We cannot fully revive ourselves…only He can.
“Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (James 4:9-10, ESV). In essence, when we are in need of revival, we need to let God do the heavy lifting. God responds to those who are broken and contrite over their sin, not those who are foolishly involved in worldly pursuits. Again, we are called to “humble” ourselves before Him and He will deliver the revival that we need. We need to keep our relationship with this world in check, so to speak, and understand that any relief or revival it offers has limits. Nothing in this world can fully revive us…again, only He can.
Just to be clear, I whole-heartedly believe in the value of doctors, medicine, therapy, essential oils, and even a good meditation session…but none of these things hold a candle to The Great Physician. If you’re turning to any earthly remedies before you turn to Him, you’re doing it wrong. We should be diving deep into God’s word to seek lasting solutions.
Last, and most importantly, God’s promise of eternal life is His most amazing revival of all. We will all face mental, emotional, and physical struggles as a result of living in this fallen world. But, what greater revival is there than God’s ability to revive us from death? His promise of salvation is truly the ultimate comeback.
Catherine (Cat) Garner was born in Long Beach, California and moved to Nevada when she was 10. She grew up in the Las Vegas community, then earned her BA in English and Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and her teaching credential from UNLV. She is a National Board CertifiedTeacher who has taught, coached, mentored, #allthethings in public schools for over a decade. She also walks in a variety of school-related roles outside the classroom such as writing curriculum and teaching professional development classes. Her husband, Ryan, is a CPA and they have one son, Jack, and a fur-daughter, Emma. She loves worship music, shoes, a good book, Precepts Bible studies, soccer, making silly TikToks, Sally Clarkson, house plants, and yoga.