This post is based on reporting by Christianity Today. Read the original story here: Trump’s SOTU Heralded a Revival. The Data Is Mixed.
The Story
In his State of the Union address, President Trump celebrated what he called a “tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God.” He credited this surge to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whom he said had been “martyred for his beliefs.” Trump invited Kirk’s widow, Erika, to stand as the chamber erupted in applause.
But here’s where it gets complicated.
Political scientists say there’s little empirical evidence for the kind of revival Trump described. Professor Ryan Burge from Washington University put it bluntly: “No matter what metric you look at—belief, attendance, or religious affiliation—there’s nothing that points to the conclusion that Gen Z is seeing a revival.”
The data tells a mixed story:
- Decline: 17-point drop in Americans saying religion is important (last decade)
- Stabilization: Decline has slowed, but not reversed
- Gen Z: Only 45% identify as Christian (down 10% from decade ago)
- Bright spots: Bible sales up 22%, younger churchgoers attending more frequently
“We will see if this season bears fruit,” said Daniel Darling of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. “But we can rejoice even in the pockets of revival we might be witnessing.”
Fruits of the Spirit in This Story
❤️ Love
The president spoke of loving religion and bringing it back. But 1 John 4:8 says “God is love” — not “God is religion.” There’s a difference. True revival isn’t about political power or cultural dominance. It’s about loving like Christ loved — laying down our lives for others. When love is reduced to a political talking point, we’ve missed the point.
😄 Joy
The Bible says the “joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). But is joy something we can declare into existence through a speech? Romans 14:17 says “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” True joy isn’t found in political victories — it’s found in the Spirit’s presence.
☮️ Peace
This story reveals a deep tension: the political desire to claim “revival” vs. the empirical data. Romans 8:6 says “the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Are we seeking peace through political means, or through the Spirit? True peace isn’t declared — it’s produced.
⏳ Patience
The data shows religious decline has stabilized, not reversed. This calls for patience. Romans 8:25 says “we wait for it with perseverance.” Whether there’s a revival or not, we’re called to patient faithfulness — planting seeds we may never see bear fruit.
💚 Kindness
The encouraging signs — Bible sales up, young people attending church — are acts of kindness we can celebrate. But kindness isn’t claiming victory before the battle is won. It’s quietly doing good, whether anyone notices or not.
✨ Goodness
Professor Eric Loepp called the president’s claims “aspirational” — more “vibe shift” than data. Goodness requires honesty. Are we willing to look at the data honestly, even when it doesn’t support our narrative? Romans 12:9 says “hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
💙 Faithfulness
The question isn’t whether politicians say revival is happening. The question is whether we are being faithful. Charlie Kirk was called a “martyr” — someone who died for their beliefs. That’s a heavy word. Faithfulness means living in a way that honors Christ, regardless of what the data says about political revivals.
🕊️ Gentleness
The church’s response to this news matters. Do we celebrate loudly when politicians validate us? Do we despair when they don’t? Gentleness means neither — it means we rest in God’s faithfulness, not man’s. Matthew 11:29-30: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”
🎯 Self-Control
This is the hardest one. It’s easy to get swept up in political enthusiasm — to claim victory, to mock skeptics, to reduce faith to a culture war. Self-control means we don’t let the political moment dictate our faith. We are not saved by revival declarations. We are saved by grace through faith.
A Reflection
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: we can’t engineer revival.
We can vote. We can speak. We can lobby. We can organize. But revival — true spiritual renewal — is God’s business, not ours.
The data is mixed. Some Christians see revival. Others see decline. Both can be true at once. But here’s what we know for sure:
- We are called to be faithful, not successful.
- We are called to love, not to win.
- We are called to make disciples, not political converts.
- We are called to worship God, not government.
Whether America is “reviving” or not is ultimately not our concern. Our concern is whether we are being transformed “by the renewal of our mind” (Romans 12:2).
The question isn’t “is America experiencing revival?” The question is: “Is my life producing the fruit?”
A Prayer
Lord, we thank You that our hope is not in politicians or political movements. We thank You that revival — true revival — is in Your hands, not ours.
Give us patience when the data is mixed. Give us joy when we feel forgotten. Give us peace when the culture wars rage. Give us self-control when we want to claim victory You haven’t declared.
Help us to be faithful, not successful. Help us to love when it’s hard. Help us to bear fruit whether the world notices or not.
Most of all, help us to remember: we are strangers here. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Amen.
This is part of a daily journey through the New Testament, focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit found in Romans.