It seems like everyone is talking about change these days. We are barraged with calls for a change from every area of life such as politics, sports, government and the workplace. At times it may seem like our culture is falling apart around us. There is a longing among Christians to go back to a time when people generally agreed on what was right and wrong, when values and morals mattered, when Sunday was “church” day, and when our leaders were held to some sense of integrity and accountability. Our vision is clear regarding the need for change in our society and the flaws in other people. Most would agree that our country needs revival and, in fact, might be our only hope. However, there is a sense of helplessness that sets in because we don’t seem to know how to make those changes happen or how to get revival started.

We use the term revival to mean various things. It can mean to re-energize, to re-invigorate, or to wake up spiritually. It sometimes involves repentance, reconciliation or making a commitment to get back on the right path again. However, at its core, revival means bringing new life to someone that has lost their zeal in their walk with the Lord. And let’s face facts – many Christians have lost their way in walking with the Lord. Why does this occur for so many of us? It boils down to this simple statement - We walk in the path we are following. The Bible tells us that we are able to walk in only one of two paths. There are various references to the same concept all throughout Scripture. These two options are referred to as the “narrow path” vs. the “broad way” or “God” vs. “mammon” or “walking in the Spirit” vs. “walking in the flesh”. In all cases, Scripture is clear that you can’t do both at the same time. It must be a personal choice to pursue one path exclusively and to forsake the other completely.

So, revival occurs when people make a choice to turn from the path they are traveling and begin to walk with the Lord. Take a moment to read Judges 2:1-4 for a taste of what this looked like for them. For the people of Israel, walking with the Lord was a real struggle. They had taken possession of the promised land only to find themselves unable to resist the culture that existed there. They had not fully vanquished their enemies (or the gods of their enemies) and were quickly adopting the lifestyles (or paths) of those they were supposed to expel. Their lives had finally settled down after wandering the wilderness for all those years. They were now living in the land of milk and honey which the true and living God had provided to them. The pressure of culture around them, their desire for comfort, the lure of false idols and false gods were always before them. So, they buckled. They didn’t see it as compromise, but it was. They would have been quick to point out the sins, atrocities and lack of God’s blessings on the nations around them. But all the while, they were walking on the wrong path away from their God.

How much does their example reflect the realities in your own life? Are you quick to see the need for change in others while being blind to the need for change within yourself? Are there influences, idols, or fleshly pursuits in your own life that have taken you out of fellowship with God and put you on the wrong path? Revival is a personal choice not a national phenomenon. But as it spreads, it can create change on a regional, national or even global level. However, that change happens one person at a time as they come to know Christ as their Savior and then choose to make the decision to expel all of the influences in their lives that would keep them from the path of walking with the Lord. We do need change. We do need revival. But it must begin with you. Make the choice today to change. Expel the enemies, idols, and influences in your own heart that have put you on the wrong path. Get on the right path, experience a new zeal in your relationship with the Lord as you begin your own journey towards revival.