REVIVE, RENEW, REFRESH

Revive, Renew, Refresh: three words that can transform your life. In an alternate universe, the character Whitley Gilbert of the comedy, 'A Different World' gets some advice from her therapist while discussing a dilemma she was confronted with after seeing her ex-boyfriend.  The therapist talks her down off the ledge with three simple words, “relax, relate, release” and with that encouragement Whitley jumps off the couch to confront a most difficult conversation she needed to initiate. A few hours later, the brief conversation was had and those three little words restored order to her world.  

I recently attended a leader's conference at my church.  The Calling was a conference whose purpose was to encourage church leaders in their work, but it served also as a reminder that God still desires to use the light in our lives in this dark world.  I'll be the first to admit that the cares of life can completely drain the energy out of my passion to shine a light.  There have been seasons in my walk with Christ when the desire to communicate the Gospel had completely consumed me like a roaring blaze.  But unfortunately, there have been far too many other seasons when I was completely unaffected by the need to share the message of Christ or even care for those around me.  The relationships and my interactions with people at work and even in my own family members who don't know Christ as their personal savior was at an all time, “status quo.”

So, as I sat in my seat, listening to the preacher, I felt the Holy Spirit drop three words in mine, Revive, Renew, Refresh. If you will allow me a few moments, I'd like to share with you some possible insights into how those words might first radically transform your own life and then others around you.  

Revive. Bringing back to life.  Death is the precursor to a revival. It could be the death of a dream, an expectation, a hope, a plan or even a path you were headed down. Disappointment or delay stalled it; you lost hope and direction and there was a death.  Now it's been years since you've even thought about that “thing” but if you were to revive it and allow God to use you, many other lives might experience a radical transformation, especially yours. Paul speaks these same life-giving words to Timothy when he says, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”  (2 Timothy 1:6). 

Renew. Making something over or new again. This speaks to beginning again, and over and over again.  A commitment to trying, starting, working at it, again.  Renewal of life follows the revival from death.  As long as there is life, there is time for renewal.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us that “yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end."

And finally, Refresh. An encouragement that provides strength.  To start over requires a new passion, zeal and energy. It's what keeps us going when we are tempted to stop.  Being refreshed is a mystery that is transpired while in the presence of God, but we are also encouraged many times in the Bible to comfort or refresh others.  

So, what if this week you focused on those three little words, Revive, Renew and Refresh. Ask the Lord to speak life to what may have died within you, allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of renewal because, “this is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: it is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Zechariah 4:6). The result will be a refreshed you that will be able to refresh and speak life to others.  Let these three words restore order to your faith, your witness and your life. 

~Nicholine Charles