Rededication?

Lately, I've been really inspired by Louie Giglio and as I was searching him on Youtube and came across this video where he speaks on the issue of "rededication" and I loved what he had to say. (Watch the video below first if you like to understand my thoughts better. I couldn't figure out how to get my text under the video.) Rededication is something I have often found myself wondering about. I can't help but notice how many Christians speak of having rededicated their lives, sometimes several times, when they share their testimonies. Don't get me wrong, but somehow I have a feeling there's something really wrong with this concept. Somehow I feel that God meant for the Christian life to be different. I don't know if my thoughts here on this issue are right, but I will throw them out there anyway.

I know it's something I have dealt in my own life in the past. I walked this inconsistent life for a long time. It seemed an endless cycle of ups and downs and "rededication" if you will. You're doing so great for awhile and then you slide downhill and come to God and say "From now on, it's going to be different. What I did back there will never happen again. I rededicate my life to You and from now on I will live a godly life." And then you're great for awhile. You read your Bible more, you pray more, you clean up the sin in your life. But after about two weeks, your initial fire dies and soon you're doing the same thing all over again.

You see, I think the problem with rededication is that many Christians are approaching it in their own strength and they don't realize they can't do it on their own. I mean, do you really think that after you've messed up, you can come to God and promise Him that you'll never mess up again, that from here on in, it'll just be a steady upward road? What a joke! Can we really make God any promises? You might as well be saying "God, I plan on living a righteous holy life from now on, and I can do it ON MY OWN!!!

I think Louie has it right when he says we have to surrender. We can't live the Christian life in our own strength and you will never get anywhere promising God you will never mess up again. It'll be a continuous cycle and you will be miserable. I know I was. We have to surrender our lives to God and walk in grace, in the Spirit, trusting Him to uphold us in our walk.

I don't think that rededication is a Biblical concept. I think what people need is more repentance and revival, not more rededication. They need to surrender their lives to God and walk in the Spirit instead of trying to living godly lives in their own strength. It just doesn't work otherwise.

Please do share your thoughts on this. I'm not sure I have this right either and I had trouble wording my thoughts, but it's a concept in modern-day Christianity that has really been nagging me and I finally heard somebody say it right. So, if you don't like what I have to say or it doesn't make sense, listen to Louie. I think he has it right.