photo by zion.education
While it is difficult to find words that best describe my experience at the Asbury University revival, the word sweet keeps arising in my heart.
As soon as I walked through the doors, I sensed so much peace and joy in the room. It felt like a family reunion—we were all connected by our love for the Lord and our desire to linger in His presence. Though there were no lyrics projected on a big screen, everyone knew every word of every song. Only two instruments—a piano and a guitar—accompanied the hundreds of voices praising in unison. All ages and ethnicities were gathered for one reason: to pour out our love on our Savior. It was a small, sweet glimpse of heaven.
For so many years, my idea of a fun Friday night involved going out to a club with friends or watching TV while drinking a bottle of wine until I fell asleep. Though I grew up in a Christian home, I never enjoyed church or any kind of Christian gathering. I struggled with depression, insecurity, addiction, and a debilitating illness for over a decade before I turned back to God and the Holy Spirit began to transform me from the inside out.
When the worship team led us in Goodness of God by Bethel Music, I began to sob. I sang this song dozens—maybe hundreds—of times by myself in my room when I first began pursuing a relationship with Jesus at the beginning of 2020. Even when I was rebellious and living in sin, He was faithful and good. His love for me has never wavered. Singing “All my life You have been faithful, all my life You have been so, so good” in a chapel packed to the brim with fellow believers was an experience I will never forget.
I went to the revival two times. The first night I attended, a young girl sitting next to me gave me this word: The Lord desires to comfort you in a new way. Though I didn’t fully understand it immediately, a lump rose in my throat. I knew in my heart she had heard from God and that perhaps He was inviting me into deeper rest.
Lately, I have found it hard to be present with God and with people. I recently moved from California to Kentucky, got married, and started a new job. While I feel so blessed and excited about this new chapter, it has been hard to not get overwhelmed. I am in a new season of big changes and more responsibilities, and the only thing that seems to calm me down is being productive and checking things off my to-do list.
Yet, the Lord desires to comfort me in a new way. He desires to ease and alleviate my feelings of distress or worry. As I reflected, it became clear that the Lord was inviting me to let go of my Martha-mentality and to be more like Mary: to stop worrying and sit at His feet.
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).
I prayed that the Holy Spirit would help me let go of worry and rest in His presence, and His words began to take root in my heart. Like Mary, I want to always choose the good part–to sit at the feet of Jesus, communing, listening, beholding, learning, and growing. Mary understood that Jesus–the Word made flesh–could never be taken away from her and that all other things she could concern herself with are temporal. She understood that she was made for Jesus and could only ever find herself—find truth—in Him.
Though the young girl sitting next to me spoke this special word to me, I believe the Lord desires to comfort all His people in a new way. As society spirals deeper into darkness and deception, the events at Asbury have provided relief, rejuvenation, and renewed hope.
What is even more encouraging is that this revival was ignited by the hearts of young people who love the Lord—it was birthed out of a generation that is under attack. There is no question that the enemy is after the identity of Gen Z and Alpha Gen, and it was so powerful to see hundreds of college students standing firm in their identity in Christ.
Revival means to live again; I don’t know about you, but I want to stay alive. I don’t want to lose what has been found here at Asbury: unity amongst believers, peace in the midst of an increasingly anti-Christian culture, a sense of urgency to reach the lost, and continuous awareness of and lingering in God’s presence.
Only when our eyes remain fixed on Jesus can living a revival life become possible. When the body of Christ learns to live in this continuous state of communion with our Creator, the world will change. Let us grow in our hunger for more of God and in our earnestness to intercede for these younger generations. Let us remember to always choose the good part—for true revival only happens when we take the time to rest at the feet of Jesus.
Julia Vaughan also has a blog where you can follow more of her spiritual journey with Christ. Julia-kathryn.medium.com