Benefits of maturity...?

Maturity is awesome. It's so much better than immaturity. You have learned to deal with the petty troubles of life with minimal drama. You can have deep, meaningful connections with people. And even when they let you down (and they will), it doesn't destroy you anymore! It's great!  In my walk with God, I'm more disciplined and consistent.  I don't have to ride the roller coaster anymore - where I'm desperately running to the altar of repentance every week...

But I definitely notice a downside to "maturity" (if that's what it really is). Lack of passion. When you're young and impetuous, you passionately pursue God. You come to His presence with a super high level of expectancy - you're waiting for God to send tongues of fire and the sound of a mighty wind... You just believe God will do CRAZY things!

So as we mature...why do we stop believing for the "wind and fire"?

I have never personally experienced a great "revival"; like the ones that have happened at Azusa Street or more recently, Brownsville. I have never seen hundreds of people slain in the Spirit, or someone in a wheelchair get up and walk, or people drawn to the church from the streets with no real reason why - they just felt compelled to go in.  I believe those things have happened.  I know there was a time when a school had to be shut down for ten days, because every time the students came, the power of God swept over them and they just cried and fell to their knees; all because Christians had prayed.  Over 2,000 students came to know Christ with no real preaching happening!  I know those things have happened.  I've heard amazing stories of miracles around the world.  But I've never experienced it personally. 

Neither have my children so far. So will their generation only hear the stories as well? Will they seek to experience it when they've never known it? ...I don't know.

In my prayer time lately, I have been asking God to allow me to be a part of a great move of His Spirit on this earth. I'm praying that it happens here - in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. I'm willing to go overseas to be a part of that, but I really want to see it happen HERE.

The sad thing is - I spend time with lots of "mature" Christians and I don't hear this as a part of their heart's cry.  It wasn't a part of my own heart's desires until recently.  The one thing I know about revival from the Bible and church history is that the people hungered for it.  When I look at those who are mature (including myself), I don't see hunger for revival.  I see a lot of good and godly things - but I don't see a desperation for God to shake our whole community so that people are running for the church to hear more. 

Do we believe that God will still do that?  Or are we "mature" enough that we don't NEED a mighty move of God.  We have our salvation.  We have knowledge to teach our children the ways of the Lord.  We've taken the discipleship classes.  We're involved in ministering to our own church family.  We have Jesus for ourselves...

Maturity is awesome.  But maturity should not equal comfort and satisfaction.  Only seeking "consistency" in faith can innocuate us to the point of irrelevancy in our world.  Spiritual maturity is not a plateau where we set up camp...it should be a steeper incline that builds our muscle - our capacity to climb higher and desire MORE.

There's got to be more than what I've already experienced.  I want MORE!  But I don't wanna experience it alone.  Father, how do we become hungry when we live in a nation that appeases our every need?