Posted on May 14, 2007

TAYLORS, S.C. (BP)--As we approach the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio, I continue to call for our people to pray, even beg God for spiritual renewal and revival.

Second Chronicles 7:14 gives us the requirements from our Lord so that we might experience true and genuine revival. If we are God's people, He tells us that the first requirement is to humble ourselves. To experience genuine humility means to take an honest look at ourselves. Perhaps one of the most difficult things for a human to do is an honest self-analysis. For those of us who feel unable to do so, I challenge you to ask those closest to you to help you in this matter. How many of us would be willing to ask our spouse for a spiritual analysis? How many of us would be willing to ask church members and other family members for such an analysis?

God commands humility.

Is this manifested powerfully in our convention? I believe that we have become an arrogant people. I believe that we have often elevated those who are strongly lacking in the spirit of humility. I do not believe that God can bring renewal and revival in this kind of setting. We have truly elevated ourselves to the point where we feel we are the best, the brightest, the greatest in the world.

Someone said that humility is seeing ourselves the way that God sees us. I believe the first and greatest step of self evaluation is to ask God to reveal our true hearts, to reveal to us areas of unconfessed sin, as well as areas not yet submitted to the Holy Spirit's control.

Would you begin, with me, a season of spiritual analysis?
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Frank Page is president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C.