Rising Above: The Call to Renewal and Revival

There's a restlessness stirring in the hearts of believers today. It's not the kind of discontent that leads to despair, but rather the divine uneasiness that precedes transformation. Like the young eagle sensing something more beyond its own comfort, many are feeling an inner pull toward a greater purpose, a deeper commitment, a higher calling.

The Eagle's Journey

The eagle provides a remarkable picture of spiritual maturity and renewal. When a young eagle reaches about four years old, something shifts within. An instinctive change begins—a longing for something beyond itself. This magnificent bird doesn't understand what's happening, but it knows there's more to life than solo flight and personal satisfaction.

What follows is an extraordinary courtship ritual that speaks volumes about commitment. The male eagle must prove himself worthy, catching branches of increasing size as the female drops them from great heights. The final test comes when she releases a log heavier than the eagle himself. If he catches it, they unite for life. If he fails, she moves on alone—because the stakes are too high. He must be able to catch a falling eaglet before it hits the ground.

This is commitment tested through action. This is love proven through perseverance.

The Process of Transformation

Scripture reminds us: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

But here's the truth many miss: waiting isn't passive. It's active preparation. It's positioning yourself for what God is about to do.

The process matters. When God begins to move in new directions, when He's calling us higher, we often experience that uncomfortable restlessness. We feel distant from His presence. Services seem less impactful. Prayer feels harder. These aren't signs of spiritual failure—they're the growing pains of transformation.

One of the most powerful forces on earth is a person who decides they truly want something. When someone receives the Holy Spirit, they receive a new "want to"—a fresh desire to change, to grow, to become more. This divine desire is what separates those who merely attend church from those who truly transform.

Consider the story of Ben Carson, born to a mother who dropped out of third grade, married at thirteen, divorced with two sons struggling in school. Young Ben had the worst grades in his class and an uncontrollable temper. But his mother wanted something more. She prayed fervently for wisdom, then applied strict discipline—limiting television, requiring homework completion, and demanding her sons read and report on two books weekly.

That "want to" changed everything. Ben Carson became one of the youngest directors of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and later served in presidential cabinet. It started with a mother who refused to accept defeat and sons who eventually embraced the process.

If you truly want freedom from bondage, you can have it. If you want to break destructive habits, you will. If you want revival, you'll pursue it with everything in you. The question is: how badly do you want it?

Breaking Through the Limitations

The flea has the most impressive vertical leap relative to its size—three feet straight up. But place that flea in a jar with a lid, and something tragic happens. After hitting the lid repeatedly, the flea adjusts, jumping just below the barrier. Eventually, you can remove the lid entirely, but the flea continues jumping only six inches. It's been conditioned by its environment.

Place more fleas in that jar, and soon you have an entire community capable of three-foot leaps, all jumping just six inches. They've accepted the limitation as reality.

How many of us are jumping six inches when God created us for three feet? How many churches have removed the lid but continue operating as if it's still there?

We are made in God's image, fully capable of doing anything He calls us to do. The same Holy Spirit that anointed the great saints of old is available to us today. We are overcomers, not by our own strength, but through Christ who strengthens us.

The Eagle's Renewal

Perhaps most powerful is the eagle's process of renewal. When an eagle's talons dull, when calcium builds up on its beak, when its feathers wear and whistle during flight, the eagle knows it's time. It finds a high rock near the sun and begins the painful process of plucking out its feathers—all 7,000 of them—one by one.

The eagle isn't concerned with the pain as much as the process.

After removing the feathers, the eagle washes in a cool stream, removing parasites and debris. Then, naked and vulnerable, it stands on the rock in the sun and waits. For approximately forty days, it sharpens its talons on the rock and beats the calcium from its beak. Other eagles bring food during this vulnerable time.

The eagle emerges renewed, restored, ready to soar again.

Your Time of Renewal

When was the last time you took intentional time to be renewed? Not just a quick prayer or a Sunday service, but a dedicated season of seeking God's face?

In this season of gift-giving, one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is time alone with God. Consider a forty-day commitment—turning off distractions, seeking His presence, allowing Him to remove what's worn and restore what's been dulled.

The flesh is a gambler, always saying "tomorrow." But the Spirit is an investor, making right decisions today that impact tomorrow. Following the Holy Spirit means investing in your spiritual future through present obedience.

The Call to Rise

We are not chickens scratching in barnyards, running to the coop when storms come. We are eagles, designed to rise above the turbulence, to breathe the clean air of the heavenlies, to soar on the strength that comes from waiting on the Lord.

It's time to change the environment. Time to remove the lid. Time to remember who we are in Christ—overcomers, more than conquerors, capable of all things through Him who gives us strength.

The sky isn't the limit. It's just the beginning.

Will you rise?

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