What we want, and what we need...

“Woe is me!  I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, 

and I live among a people of unclean lips,

 and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!” 

Isa. 6:5

How can a prophet and man of God have such a reaction before the Living God?  Did not God call Isaiah through the vision into His presence?  Why would God allow Isaiah to feel this way and to have such an experience?

We have such a tendency to make our understanding of God and faith centered upon us and our experiences and needs.  We are often like small children going through the grocery store with our parents.  Seeing the food around us, we realize we are hungry and we demand our needs be met immediately.  We do not care that we are on our way home to eat a nutritious meal.  We do not care that our bodies need healthy food.  We want the candy bar that is within reach at the checkout line.  

In other words, what we want and what we really need are often two very different things.

We want to be accepted just as we are.  We wish that God would affirm us, give us some candy, and always have a smile for us.  These are our greatest wants and desires.  In fact, these are our greatest needs.  

The problem is that we insist that God gives us the candy bar without feeding us the healthy meal.  We want God to change so we do not have to.

Ultimately, our greatest problem in life is our lack of self-awareness concerning our true condition before God, others, creation and ourselves.  Here is where this passage in Isaiah can help give us some perspective.

In Isaiah 6, we see the prophet encountering the Holy God.  He is undone before Him.  He has seen God and he knows he needs grace.  Fortunately in the next verse, a seraph took a live coal from the alter and touched Isaiah’s mouth declaring, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (vs. 8)  As Isaiah met God, he became aware of his need, and he called out for grace.  God answered his need by sending grace.

In my experience, such experiences of grace cannot come often enough.  They often lead to rapid advances in Christian maturity and understanding that work out in increased love for God and others.  Such life-changing times of growth often occur at conversion, but they should also continue at different times throughout our Christian life. 

Why?  As we grow to know the Holy God better, we should see our need for grace more since we see our sin more.  This is also the prime mark of authentic revival.

So why do we not see this often as a mark of Christian faith and practice?  Why do we lack such awakenings, which lead to true revival?

There are many factors.  First, we have not been taught this form of spirituality as the norm.  An emphasis on humility and brokenness runs counter to the American spirit of individualism and self-effort. 

Second, this spirituality runs counter to the workings of our fallen soul.  It does not sound nearly as good to us as “self-improvement” through works on the one hand or free and easy grace and forgiveness that doesn’t involve brokenness and humility on the other.  The truth is that many of us would rather keep a holy God at arms length.  Unfortunately, there are always religious peddlers who will wittingly or unwittingly give us what our hearts want by minimizing God’s holiness and our need. 

The result is a watered-down spirituality that lacks vitality.  Thus, we do not have true awakening and revival.  This is particularly true among those profess Christ for years.  New believers often have a glimpse of their need and God’s grace; but as they continue in the Christian faith, they lose their vitality.

Why?  Instead of growing in their understanding of God's holiness, which would lead to deeper repentance and an understanding of our need for Christ, many believers never grow from their initial understanding of God's holiness and their need.  In His mercy, God allows us through life to see our need, but we cover it up with denial or blaming others.  The result is shallowness and fakery.  Instead, we should embrace a deeper repentance, live a life of authentic confession, and find God's incredible mercy in Christ is increasing real for us.

Where are you today?  Do you have a spirit of revival and awakening in your life?  Do you have a vital, living faith?  Do you want such a life?  If so, come before the Holy God and pray for mercy to see both your need for Christ and Christ’s love for you.  True revival awaits.