Ezekiel 47
“Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, ‘This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah, where it enters the sea. When it empties into the sea, the water their becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.’ “
John 7
“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”
So all believers have streams of living water flowing through them? I don’t always feel like I have a stream of living water flowing through me. Then again, it’s not really about what I feel is it?
Fact is, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, I have the power and potential to bring life, and I have streams of living water flowing from within me.
Are these streams for my own purposes? Do I do things that hinder the flow of this stream of living water? Am I always willing to flow forth and let the living water bring the life that is described in Ezekiel (above)?
There is a difference between being a consumer, and a giver. Many times I approach things with a consumer’s attitude, thinking, “What can I get out of this situation? How will this affect me? What can I receive?”
I haven’t always come at things with a giving mentality, thinking, “What can I do to bring life into this situation? How can I uplift these people in this moment? What can I do to help us move forward? How can I be like Christ right now?”
With a consumerist attitude it is easy to disengage and move on when things get tough. With a giving attitude you are more willing to stick with it, see things through, engage, and challenge yourself.
Moving forward I want to be less of a consumer, and more of a giver. I want to see the salt water made fresh and living things swarming with life. I want to direct these streams of life that flow from within me to places that need fresh water, that need rejuvenating, that need an injection of living water (Jesus!).
So what are we doing with the influence we have? Are we using it to love others? Are we bringing life to people and places that need it? Are we directing these life giving waters in the right directions?
