A man came to Socrates and asked him for wisdom. Socrates quickly dismissed him, telling him to come back when he really wanted wisdom. This experience repeated itself several times, with the man coming back and asking for wisdom, until Socrates took the man down to a body of water and stuck his head under the water.
After holding him under for about 10 seconds Socrates pulls the man back up and asks, “What do you want?” to which the man replied, “I want wisdom great teacher.” Socrates put the man’s head under the water again, this time holding him under for 30 seconds. Pulling the man up he asks again, “What is it that you want?” The man once again replies, “I want wisdom great teacher.” Socrates holds him under the water again this time for much longer.
The man began struggling, and choking, and gasping for air. At the point that he was about to fall unconscious, Socrates pulled him out of the water and asks one final time, “What is it that you want?” This time all the man can scream is, “I want air, I want air!”
Socrates leaves the man saying, “When you want wisdom as much as you wanted air, you will find it.”
How does this apply to revival in our children’s ministry? A lot of people give lip service about revival. It’s the “thing” right now, the buzz word of the Church.
A mistake that many are making today with this religious trend is that many are going after revival rather than the Reviver. Here’s the key … when we become consumed with desperation for seeking the Reviver more than the revival, the revival will always be there. When we seek His face, His hands will always be seen.
The man with his head held below the water couldn’t hide his desperation. Are you passionately going after the Reviver? Is your desperation showing in your private time and your public time of ministry? Again, when we desperately seek Him, His presence (revival) will always manifest.
