RADICALLY RESTORED
By Caryn Burdine
Remember the enthusiasm of salvation? Our confessed need for a Savior. Our sudden removal of sins. God's love to filling our empty souls. We felt different -- more alive and intimately aware of being given a second chance. The light came on, and the darkness dispersed. Do you still feel it? Is your enthusiasm for Christ as vibrant and noticeable as those first few weeks of salvation?
Recalling that glorious mountaintop experience ignites my now waning spirit. I remember being engulfed in a love for life, people and new opportunities. I had been radically restored, spiritually renewed, and a fanatic for Jesus. Those around me thought me crazy as I immersed myself into the Christian scene.
From the depths of my soul, I thirsted for spiritual knowledge. It felt like an addiction. The more I was fed, the more I hungry I became.
As I look back on those early years, I crave the excitement of the initial Light. I am still a fanatic, but that overwhelming elation has been doused in the monotony of daily life.
Have I become too apathetic in my Christian walk?
How do I rekindle these smoldering embers that remain of my original enthusiasm?
Life is a series of ups and downs, mountains and valleys, trials and victories; however, God remains a constant. He is always present, never forsaking, never changing, and constantly faithful. Therefore, if my Christian walk has become less that exciting, then the solution lies somewhere amidst my own emotions and attitudes.
Perhaps I have become too casual in my relationship with God -- treating Him more as a friend than my Lord and Savior. As I travel through the routines of the day, my daily devotions are quickly filed in the recesses of my mind. The fire that had once burned so rigorously is now dormant.
Am I taking my Christianity for granted?
Stuck in a rut, I grab the shovel and begin my ascent. It is I who have stepped away from God. Yielding to Him will resuscitate that initial enthusiasm. I know what I must do to restore this relationship with my Lord and Savior: 1) Repent, 2) Re-place, and 3) Remember.
Repentance: Sin has stolen my peace and has built a wall between God and myself. I must demolish the wall by going to the cross. Asking God for forgiveness causes an awareness of my vulnerability to worldly influences. I recognize the sins I have committed -- both outwardly and in my heart. Wrong thoughts such as assumptions, judgements and doubts have subtly crept into my life. All sins are acknowledged and placed at the cross.
Re-place: I must re-place God to His rightful place – the throne. He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. My worship of Him has become obscured, and yet God is Light. Realizing -- once again -- the revering characteristics and powers that He holds, I kneel in utter humility and acknowledge His Holiness. I praise Him for what He did for me on the cross, and I thank Him for who I have become through Him.
Remember: I remember my promises to the Lord. I gave Him my life at the moment of salvation to use as He saw fit in the accomplishing of His will and purposes. I promised dependence on Jesus Christ. However, I have been living for my own gain and recognition instead of giving Him the glory. I have taken the controls back by asking Him to bless my plans rather than first seeking His will. By stepping away from Him in my activities, I have become independent of His blessings.
Once again, I am filled with a faith and trust in God that is greater than any circumstance I may be going through. The embers are ignited and my passion has been restored.
The mountaintop highs are exhilarating. They are experiences of God’s glory and power. However, the mountains cannot be encountered without the road through the valleys reminding me of my constant need for His protection and guidance.
My relationship with God is a process, growing in the valleys and glorifying on the mountaintops. I accept the highs as well as the lows, and set my sights on His eternal kingdom. I know that when I arrive, I will be radically restored forever.
© 1999 Caryn Burdine
Email: VinJ98@aol.com