DBR Is Spiritual CPR

Raise your hand if you are CPR certified? Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification has saved countless lives by enabling many (often as a job requirement) to aid individuals with heart failure or loss of breathing to survive until emergency care is available. Heroes have been born and lives have been saved. This Easter I am reminded that DBR (Jesus death, burial and resurrection) has enabled many (as a spiritual requirement) to aid individuals who’s hearts have been pierced with the grace of God to rescue them from sin. As physical revival allows one a second chance on life so does spiritual revival! However, the challenge of spiritual revival is both marvelous in its grace and challenging in its nature.

Listen to the challenge of Paul as he writes to the church at Philippi, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10, 11).” When we become DBR certified the course includes not only a willingness to be like Jesus in his death but full acknowledgment that it includes fellowship in his suffering. That is, DBR training means we are fearless about dying whether it is to our selfishness, our sinfulness or the ultimate sacrifice of giving our lives so others may live! Such is not for the fainthearted. It may require one to forgive ones enemy or pray for the arrogant who have nothing good to say about you. It may require long hours of painful endurance that eat into personal time and go without accolade or appreciation. It may require that you take the task alone because those who you thought were your support team have not stayed the course with you. In short, it’s a cross experience!

The world will suffer much if there are not those who are DBR certified! The world needs those who take Easter serious. Those who take up their cross and follow Jesus. Those who know the power of the resurrection is more than just personal salvation but a call to be conformed to the one who is the way, the truth and the life! I wouldn’t for a moment take away the excitement of youth hunting eggs or them smiling with that chocolate rimmed smile while they cuddle with some soft fury bunny. But I would hope that faithful parents would live lives that left no doubt in their children’s hearts that their parents were DBR certified! -DAN