Rain has
been a scarce and sacred thing in the Midwest this summer. Everywhere I look the
once green and luscious landscape is brown and brittle. People have engaged in
all out war just to keep lawns, flowers, and bushes alive. Even well
established trees are in danger because the water table in the ground has
receded by significant levels. Surprisingly, although the grasses are dead,
weeds seem to be thriving. People are still mowing, but only to take out the
weeds which continue to sprout in the desolate conditions.
As I marveled
at the resilience of the weeds, I can’t help but make comparisons to my own
spirituality. In the gospel of John, Jesus explains to the Samaritan woman that
He provides Living Water. Jesus explains that all who come to Him will never thirst
again. Connecting with my Savior allows Him to fill me each day with this
Living Water He so generously supplies. But often, I let my time with Him
decrease until I am living in near drought conditions. When this occurs, the
fruits of the spirit struggle to survive and the weeds of the flesh seem to
flourish.
In his letter, James describes two types of living
conditions. In chapter 5, James reveals that those who live in earthly
conditions (lack of spiritual water) will see envy, bitterness, and selfish
ambition quickly grow. Those who remain connected to the Source of Life will
experience good fruits such as peace and mercy.
Here are a
few questions to help you take inventory of your current growing conditions:
- What characteristics seem to be multiplying the quickest in your life?
- How would you currently describe the spiritual climate in your life, your family, and your church?
- How often and in what ways are you connecting to the Living Water?
- What action steps can you take today to help replenish the water table in your soul?
“Whoever drinks the water I give him
will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of
water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
