AFTER Revival

When my wife walked by dusting, she did not know that her comment would make this article for today. We were discussing our gratefulness over how well how many had gotten into revival and had prayed, worshipped, rejoiced. That is a thrill to the heart of a pastor-seeing people respond to the move of the Spirit and receive what they so desperately need. People moved out of their comfort zone, beyond their usual. That is what revivals are all about. Her comment, following her statement of how folks were getting in was something like, "We'll see. What matters is after revival." She isn't a cynical person. She was just stating the obvious. Truly what matters isn't the cathartic, emotional moment at the altar in and of itself. What matters is the lasting effect of such a moment. In a word what does it take for what God has done in people's lives to last beyond the revival services? Faithfulness. Emotions are fickled things. They come and go. But being faithful will keep a person in the place that when the next wave rolls in he will be there to experience it. Faithfulness preserves in the practice of life that thing God has done in the heart. Faithfulness; faithfulness to personal devotion; faithfulness to convictions and commitments made; faithfulness to ministries; faithfulness to church services. Faithfulness. Revivals are not to be momentary spiritual high points from which folks settle back down to their previous niche once the meetings are over. Revivals are footholds the faithful can use to move upward, onward, forward. Then again, what my wife meant was after the revival services. There is no need that the revival itself end. Faithfulness would insure that as well.