Our hope is that a spiritual resurgence, fresh waters and new life springing up in dry ground, will be the reality for individuals across our congregation. If that happens in individual lives it will build and accumulate until the church as a whole begins to experience the impact.
In John 7: 37 - 38 Jesus said, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the scripture declare 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart'". Verse 39 goes on to explain that this living water is really the Holy Spirit.A similar message is found in Isaiah 43: 18 - 19. It's a message that is easy to understand. Speaking through the Old Testament prophets, and then through Jesus in the New Testament, God is clearly inviting us to experience an abundant spiritual life, one where the Spirit of God is moving in and through us. The primary requirement is... that we want it. Jesus said "If anyone is thirsty..."
The problem for most of us is that we so easily become complacent about our spiritual life and our spiritual health. It's so easy for us to just be satisfied with whatever level of spiritual fervour (or lack of) we've been accustomed to. Far too often we could be described as dry, desert-like, where there is little evidence of real life. God says if you're not happy with that, if you want more, if you are thirsty, come. That's the invitation God has set before us, and the emphasis we want to bring to the people of The Mission in 2017.
Are we simply inviting you to make another new year's resolution that you can be excited about for a couple weeks, and then lose interest? This is not about a new year's resolution. It's not about resolving to do better. That's because it's not really something you can do by simply being determined or more disciplined. In fact it's not really something you can do at all, other than to say "I want it" and mean it from your heart. We don't manufacture God's living water by being resolved. God pours it out when we come to the place of acknowledging our need and our desire for the Spirit of God to be in control and active in our lives.
Back in December we had the congregation complete a survey. The purpose was to help us better understand how interested people are in their spiritual growth, and how we could provide help and support. In answer to the question "Rate your desire to grow spiritually" 93% answered with a 7 or higher, indicating a pretty high interest. Of that number half answered with a 10, suggesting this was the most important thing in their lives.
It is fantastic that people want to place such a priority on their spiritual health! Unfortunately it can be like saying "yes, it would be nice if I could lose 20 pounds". The desire may be there but is it the kind of desire that is truly motivating? The word thirsty implies a powerful desire. When someone is really thirsty, desperately thirsty, everything else takes second place. Quenching that thirst becomes the all consuming priority. That's the kind of thirst God wants us to have. It's why the greatest commandment is that we love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind. That speaks of a powerful thirst for God.
The reward for being spiritually thirsty is overwhelming. The reward is the Spirit of God bringing new life into our dry experience, moving in our lives in ways perhaps we have never experienced or imagined. Not a glass full. Not a pitcher full, but rivers of living water.
That's our challenge in 2017. Are you thirsty? Do you want to know the Spirit of God in your life like rivers of living water? Jesus gave the invitation. It's up to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments are welcome. Please post here.