Working for Revival

“People want revival, but don’t want to do the work that goes into it.”

This statement from a missional leader in Michigan resonated with me the rest of the night.

It is easy to get caught up in the warm and fuzzies of church experiences, in the excitement the Holy Spirit fills us with, and in the ideas that flood our minds.  However, when we attempt to turn these thoughts into action- these dreams into realities- we realize it may not be as simple as we had hoped.

There are messes to clean up, and sometimes angry people to deal with.  There can be phone calls that end in hostility, friendships that could end, and loads of fatigue.

But we believe God calls us to a life on mission, and we aren’t promised that it will be easy.

The other night while traveling through Kansas we met new friends named Sarah and Emily.  They quickly realized all the moving parts that need to be organized to lead events.  They are currently working on hosting a day of free haircuts for the homeless in their community after being inspired by a viral video of this occurring in another city.

“Things look easy on Facebook,” Sarah said.  But there’s so much more that goes into it.  Phone calls can be daunting when asking for help, but she sees the importance of being a missionary to her community and to the people she’s called to.  Knowing she’s not the only one who has done this before is a constant reminder that she is not alone.

Walking in solidarity with one another is the whole point of As Family We Go.  We long to create a space where people can share their stories – their triumphs and failures – so that we know others have gone before us.  We want to inspire those who are thinking of starting something, and encourage those who have tried and perhaps become discouraged along the way.

It’s not easy; we have to be willing to get dirty.  We need to recognize that even the God of the universe worked with the dust of the ground to form us in his likeness.  He had to deal with selfish people; He had to go so far as to sacrifice His Son.  Therefore to have revival, we must recognize the difficulties we can face, but the rewards that are so much greater because the Lord of all is with us and cheering for us.

Take heart, my friends.  The work is worth it for each of the adventures He has called you to.

Jamie is a lover of travel, mid-century writings, and unnatural hair colors. She and her husband planted a network of house churches in 2012 to connect the people of Canton, Ohio. They live with a cute little bunny rabbit that intrigues (and freaks out) most visitors and love sitting on their porch, drinking coffee, and living in community. As a leader of the As Family We Go Network, she’d love to hear the stories of what God is doing in your area. Email her at: jamie@asfamilywego.com

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