Unbridled Revival Part 5

     The Lord made it clear to me a couple of months ago that to walk in a life-changing unbridled revival, I had to walk in unbridled love. In other words, if I wanted to walk in a life-changing unbridled revival, I had clear out all of the hate, anger, hurt and unforgiveness that was taking up space in my heart. We all have "junk" like that hanging around in our hearts. Some more than others. Anythime you try to sell out for Jesus, you are going to get more than your fair share of them.
     His reasons to clear these things out of our hearts are simple. Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith works by love. Agape love energizes our faith. Therefore, if we have a weak love life towards God AND our fellow man, then we will have a weak faith life. Take a look at Matthew 14:14. It tells us that Jesus was MOVED by His agape compassion and healed the sick. In Mark chapter one, He was moved with compassion and healed a leper. Agape love is the worker of our faith, which, in turn, prompts our actions.
     Do you remember, in the previous parts, I talked about what took place when you met your first "real" love. Your thought patterns changed. All you could think about was how sweet, how beautiful and how wonderful she was. The more you thought on this lovely creature, the more your love gave you boldness to do something your had never done before-----ask her out for a date. The more you thought on the love that the two of you shared, again you got the boldness to do something that you had never done before---hold her hand. And the list gets bigger as we go along. You see? The more you thought about love, the more you stirred yourself to do loving things.
     What happens when you think about hamburgers? You can almost taste one. The more you think about them, the more you get stirred to make a trip to McD's. What happens when you think about how much you hate somebody, or how much you have been hurt, or how you would like to get somebody back. That will stir you to vicious words and ungodly actions. Right in the middle of one of your hate-thinking sessions, you'll probably come in contact with a sinner who could use some compassion. They very well could be prime targets for salvation. But, you're so far from compassion, God's Holy Spirit would have no chance of reaching this sinner. I can look back on my own life and see where I have missed opportunity after opportunity.
     That's why it is important to clean out our hearts and fill them with His love and compassion. Life is not fair. There are people out there who get the thrill of their lifetime when they slam somebody to the ground. Some people just have to be the 'top dog' no matter who they step on. The question is, are we just going to let this guy slide, or is somebody going to 'put him in his place' like we would love to do? We all know that Jesus said, Mat 5:44--"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" I have had to ask myself, how is that possible and why do I have to do it?
     I think that God got tired of me asking, so He answered me. I had a time of it, but I have found peace in following His line of reasoning. He shared with me that as long as I kept thinking of how I would like to get even, that made me lord over the situation. He said to make a clear decision to forgive, forget and and pray for my enemies. When I walk in agape love towards those who have offended me, then Jesus becomes Lord over that situation with them. If I have been wronged, He can then become the Avenger. And, He is the only one who can bring the utmost righteous judgement. Let's be honest, now. Between us or Jesus, which one would do the best job at avenging? Jesus would. Jesus not only becomes the avenger to your adversaries, he becomes the blesser of YOUR life for being obedient to Him. It is a win-win situation. You keep your love and peace and Jesus takes care of the problem His way.
     The best way to overcome the hurt and anger is to meditate on the goodness of the Lord. Meditate on His love. Meditate on His promises. Tell youself, "All my needs are met according to His riches in glory because He loves me. My family is healed because He loves us. My lost loved ones are saved because He loves us." Begin thanking Him for all that He has done and keep reminding yourself the He loves you. Get a little bolder. Tell the devil that Jesus loves you more and more. Tell the devil that God loves your children. The more that you meditate on His love, the more you find yourself calming down. The more that you meditate on His love, the more peace you have. As you meditate on His love, your faith begins to grow. You find yourself recognizing opportunities for testimony. From somewhere down within you will come a boldness to witness that you had never had before. Things won't bother you as much because you realize that Jesus is not just your Lord any more. You have accepted Him as your Lover. Your faithful Lover. The Lover who walks with you constantly and showers you with His blessings.
     That's why it is important for us to clean out the old "junk" of hate, anger, hurt and unforgivenss. We need more room to fill our hearts with His precious Love.