Are You Exhausted?

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Ps 51:10

 Whenever I’m exhausted mentally, emotionally or spiritually, I’m learning that perhaps my “self” life has been having the upper hand. Life gets busy and we learn how to go through the motions, but often my heart cries out for something more. Something more in my relationship with Christ and something more in my desire to serve Him to reflect my love and gratitude. I think it’s called revival.

I never want my walk with God to become mundane or monotonous! But I also know it takes the ongoing work of Christ’s spirit to cleanse and renew my heart and reveal those things that may be my greatest enemies. It’s often the things of “self” that are the underlying issues of my heart and for revival to take place not just once or twice a year but ongoing, I need the Lord and His word to search me and try me.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, lays out a poignant contrast between the “self” life and the surrendered life. Are you ready for a glorious “God” work your life? Maybe the revealing truths below will be a start.

“The person God is working in is overwhelmed by a sense of spiritual need – they look for the best in others. But proud people focus on others’ failures and are quick to find fault. The person God chooses surrenders control and isn’t itching to always be right, but proud people demand to have things their own way; they have to prove they are right.

Believers in whom God is moving desire to make others successful. Then there are those who do things to be a success, who are wounded when others are promoted instead of them. Revival comes to people who know they have nothing to offer God, to those who are humbled by how much they have to learn. Revival is slow to come to those who try to think of what they can do for God, to those who feel confident in how much they know.

God looks for people who are not concerned with themselves, who risk getting close to others, who receive criticism with a humble heart. God is not quick to use people who are self-centered, who keep others at arm’s length, who are defensive when criticized.

Broken people specifically confess sin. They are grieved over the root causes of their sins. Then there are those who confess in generalities. They’re mainly concerned with the consequences of their sins and keeping up appearances.”

“Self” can be so exhausting and it’s always a tell- tale sign that I need to be at the feet of Christ with intention and unhurried. What rest we can find in our walk with the Lord when the “self” life is exchanged for the surrendered life. If we’re longing for revival, we need look no further than the cleansing and renewing of the Spirit of God in us and with us.