I attended a Renovaré regional conference this past weekend. Two of my favorite Christian writers Richard Foster and Dallas Willard were the main speakers. I even had the honor of serving on the organizing committee and of leading the prayer team for the conference. We learned and experienced more during the weekend than I can begin to relate to you. The Lord provided and answered our prayers in miraculous ways. The conference was like a feast. It took a long time to prepare, was phenomenal and was over too soon. I want to share just one point with you this evening that the Lord impressed on me during the weekend.
The entire Renovaré team was highly educated and experienced. Their teaching sessions which were a great blessing. However, their Christ-like character made a deeper impression on me than their credentials. Since I was on the organizing committee we were able to eat meals with them, see them behind the scenes, listen to them as they shared stories with each other, and watch them as they spoke and prayed with all the people who wanted their attention. They were gentle, humble, patient, joyful people who clearly loved the Lord, each other and everyone they met. The Lord’s grace and joy they displayed was infectious. I found myself wanting to produce more of the fruit of the Lord’s presence (Galatians 5:22-23) just because I was near them.
Every one of us can experience and radiate the presence of the Lord so that those around us are drawn to Jesus. Therefore, I have committed to pray, study and permit the Lord to express the fruit of his Spirit more blatantly and consistently through me than ever before in my life of faith. I’ll do this while I am in Atlanta traffic, in business meetings, with my family and friends, in worship, alone, and even when dealing with those who are upset with me for some reason. I have grown a great deal in these areas over the years, but the Lord wants to continue changing me into his image. Please make this commitment with me as we ask the Lord to fill us so that we are those who “reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This promise is available to all of Jesus’ followers. The question is, will we enter into this rich life that God promises?
