Christ's Call to Personal Renewal

Charles Alexander was R.A. Torrey's song leader for many years during Torrey's great evangelistic crusades. Alexander once told of a meeting that took place somewhere in Tennessee. It was a prayer meeting, with a particular focus on praying for revival.

Present in that prayer service was a man who had earned the reputation of being a rather inconsistent Christian. Spontaneously he stood to his feet and prayed, "Lord, I beg of you, fill me with your Spirit!"

A saintly old woman who knew the petitioner quite well spoke up, "Don't do it Lord, he leaks!"

Which prayer the Lord heard that day in Tennessee, I don't know. But I do know this: we Christians by nature are "leaky" individuals.

One day following an extensive evangelistic mission, the disciples returned to give a report of their successes to Jesus. For days they had preached and taught, healed the sick and exorcised demons. They had invested themselves tirelessly and selflessly in others. Their tasks had been many, the days had been long, the people had been demanding

While listening to the Twelve excitedly recount the mighty exploits God had accomplished through them, Christ saw something lacking, something missing.

Though the disciples were unaware of their spent energies, Jesus knew. They were empty; they were depleted. They needed to be renewed, rested, refreshed.

After listening carefully and caringly, Jesus compassionately invited them: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest [be renewed]."(1)

Our Lord regularly calls His servants to block off an extended amount of time to spend alone with Him: an hour ... several hours ... a day ... several days—that He might refill us with His Spirit, renew us in His love, refresh us in His presence, cleanse us from all contaminants, refocus our priorities and sharpen our vision. He can only do this in solitude; He can only accomplish this in a quiet place.

Special calls to personal renewal await the spiritually fatigued wherever the following symptoms appear.

Personal renewal is necessary whenever people tend to become more of a source of irritation than objects of love.

Here's a ministry maxim: to the degree our love for Christ decreases, our irritation with people increases. God has not called us to change people—only He can do that. He calls us to love people, to take time with them, to listen, to empathize, to instruct. But when our love for Christ grows cold certain people become a nuisance, a bother, a trial. It's then, if we would but listen, that Christ calls us to get alone with Him. He wants to reminds us that every person is an object of His love, and should be an object of ours as well.

Personal renewal is necessary whenever our focus becomes "doing" instead of "being."

The Christian is called to engage in active love—to the saved and unsaved—but this active love (good works) must flow from "a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."(2)

The Ephesian Christians were hard workers and full of good deeds, but Christ called them to repentance because they had "forsaken [their] first love."(3) Gifted people laboring tirelessly in the work of God who are not commensurately growing in the grace of God are candidates for failure and burnout, if not disaster. Those who are wise in the ways of God will hear the voice of Christ calling them to a quiet place in order to reevaluate their motives for ministry and their purpose for serving.

Personal renewal is necessary whenever we become driven in the work of God.

Christ never ministered among men as a driven man. True, He was on a mission of the highest importance, but He wasn't competitive, or impatient. He served with the utmost composure and poise.

Our Lord ministered to please His Father; He didn't strain to please the masses. He labored to meet His Heaven's agenda, not some man's artificial goals.

There is a world of difference between being led by God and being driven by self. The one who is driven will sweat to no end to gain the praise of man, the other will keep in step with the Spirit to gain the praise of God.

Personal renewal is necessary whenever fear tends to drown out faith.

When Jesus sent the Twelve out on a special mission, He cautioned them: "do not worry ... do not be afraid."(4) They were to face new challenges and walk in uncharted territory. What would they say? Where would their next meal come from? Would they be accepted? Where would they spend the night? Would they be physically harmed?

God told Noah to "Build," Abraham to "Go," Joshua to "March," and Daniel to "Pray." These men made God's Hall of Faith, because in faith they built, went, marched, and prayed. They believed God instead of allowing circumstances and people to control their destinies. When we are renewed in our spirit one of the results will be a faith-filled life instead of a fear-filled life.

Personal renewal is necessary whenever we rationalize our moral compromises instead of instinctively rejecting sin's first approach.

Methodism's premier hymnist, Charles Wesley, wrote:

It is only through renewed contact with Jesus Christ in the quiet place that one will be able to resist temptation in life's marketplace.

Finally ...

Personal renewal is necessary whenever gloom robs us of our joy.

The hopeless and the hapless need to retreat with Christ. The discouraged and dispirited need a fresh touch from Him who lived a life anointed with the oil of joy.(5)

Christians are to be realistic, yet optimistic; the servants of God should see life not only as it is, but what God envisions it to become. Jesus lived in perpetual joy because His entire life was centered in the will of His Father. He could face difficulties confidently and courageously because His focus was centered on the Father. To the extent we live in His presence, to that degree we will be filled with His joy.

Years ago an Englishman walked into a London Rolls Royce dealership and purchased his first Rolls. Some time later he made a trip to the Continent. Well into the trip, his premier automobile experienced mechanical failure and became disabled. The gentleman phoned the Rolls Royce Company explaining his dilemma.

The customer relations representative who took his call informed the distressed owner, "Stay right there, we'll send a mechanic immediately.” The mechanic was flown in, rented a car, expertly made the necessary repair, and the owner was on his way again.

Months elapsed and the owner did not receive a bill from the company for the repair. Finally he wrote the company explaining what had happened and requested a bill from them.

A few days later he received this terse reply; "We have no record on our files of a Rolls Royce ever breaking down."

Whether this anecdote is fact or fiction, I can't vouch for. However, I do know from my own experience that I have required repeated "repairs" (seasons of special renewal) across my spiritual pilgrimage. And though heaven does not keep record of such repairs (sins covered by the blood of Christ), the hungry-hearted children of God are in need of regular maintenance.

Yes, we all need to be refreshed, rested and renewed by the Master repeatedly and regularly. Again and again Jesus calls to His servants: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest (be renewed)."

Are we listening?

All Scripture quotations are taken from the NIV unless otherwise noted.