Am I dehydrated?
by Pastor Greg Fowler
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Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them (John 7:37b,38).
Read John 7:37–39
I find it easy to become dehydrated, especially when I am exercising or drinking too much coffee during the day. I need to intentionally and regularly drink water to avoid the symptoms of dehydration, such as headache, dizziness, fatigue or just a feeling of malaise. I now make sure I hydrate, even if I don’t feel thirsty.
When our ‘stores’ of God’s Holy Spirit are low, we also experience unpleasant symptoms. Left to live our calling in our own strength, we can feel disoriented and overwhelmed. We can become fatigued and even anxious. Our Lord knows that we need his Spirit, so he encourages us to return regularly to him as the source of spiritual hydration. When Jesus declared that ‘living water will flow’, he wasn’t using a metaphor or allegory. Indeed, he made it clear that the person of the Holy Spirit would be part of our lives and, what’s more, would flow through us to others.
It’s easy for us to be spiritually dehydrated too. This Bible verse reminds us that regular, intentional top-ups are part of the Christian life. There are many ways for us to come to Jesus for spiritual hydration. God’s Spirit flows to us as we read and meditate on Scripture. We also experience a boost when we gather as believers and testify to the work of God in our lives. We can ask someone to pray for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and, of course, we receive the Holy Spirit in Holy Communion. One of the ways I get recharged by the Spirit is to exercise the spiritual gifts he has given me. God promises to empower us for service with his gifts.
Dear Jesus, fill us this day with your Holy Spirit. Touch those parts of our lives that are dry and need renewal. Show us those who need your Spirit so that we can be vessels through which your Spirit flows. Amen.
Pastor Greg lives in Adelaide and serves as pastor of Golden Grove Lutheran Church and School. He is blessed to be able to spend lots of time with his grandchildren, Teddy and Olivia. His spare time is taken up with golf, Formula 1 and going out with his beautiful wife.
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