Jim Mann
In the Gospel of John we read “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.’” (John 7:37-38, NIV) John proceeds to tell us that Jesus was speaking of the soon-to-come Holy Spirit.
That phrase “living water” is what New Testament scholars call a Hebraism…a Jewish turn of phrase. As an ancient and pictorial language, the Jews often spoke in images. Living water was water that was moving—a stream or a brook. It was clean, fresh, healthy. It was the opposite of stagnant, brackish, unhealthy water.
Many years ago Greek explorers discovered a great lake in the Arabah wilderness. They named it Thalassa Thanatos, or the Dead Sea. They gave it this foreboding name because, unlike most lakes, this one was unable to support life. The mineral content of the Dead Sea is such that nothing can live there.
Every day two tons of water flow into the Dead Sea from the River Jordan. As the snows melt on Mt. Hermon and Mt. Nebo, water consistently flows into the sea. But there are no tributaries to take water out of the Dead Sea. So once water gets there, it’s stuck. The only way for water to leave is through evaporation. And evaporation leaves the minerals. And so the sea is dead.
It is the same with us. God created us to give to others. We consistently receive God’s blessings and the ministry of the Holy Spirit like the Dead Sea receives water from the Jordan. But if there are no avenues for ministry to others in our lives—no tributaries to take the water out—we can get too much of a good thing. We become self-centered. We become spiritually brackish.
Let me encourage you to find someone this week to bless…someone to serve. There are plenty of folks around you that could use a hand, a kind word of encouragement, a hug. Take some of those blessings you’ve been given in life and give them away.
I’m convinced you will find that Jesus was correct. As your service flows from you to others, so will the life of God. You in turn will feel alive, too. I’ll see you in church!
Jim Mann, Ph.D. pastors New Life Church at Robson Ranch. This interdenominational church meets at the Robson Clubhouse on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Visit New Life’s website: www. NewLifeDenton.org for more information.