Have you ever been so thirsty, that the only drink that would truly quench your thirst was a glass of water? I'm sure this has occurred even for those of you that don't like to drink water on the regular. My daily goal is to drink a gallon of water. When I don't drink as much water, my body doesn't feel right and is restless. I am sluggish, have more frequent headaches, am irritable and overall don't feel well. On those days, my husband would be cheering, "drink the water!" Our bodies crave the pure water to cleanse, refresh and restore our bodies to function. If I'm giving my body sweet, sugary drinks to try and quench that thirst; my body will take it but use it in a negative way for my health. Later in the days to come, my body will become dependent and crave those sugary drinks.
Why is that? It's because our body needs water, our body is constantly using water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate our temperature and maintain other important bodily functions. Our body loses water in everything we do; such as, breathing, walking, sweating and sleeping, so it's important that we drink water to refresh and replenish our body. Water is essential to our body functioning.
What are you pouring into your body? Mountain Dew, Diet Coke, Mello Yellow, Sweet Tea....No, that is not what I am asking. What are you Spiritually pouring into yourself and your family? This leads me to a word I primarily heard and saw lived out in the daily walk of life of my step-dad; discipleship. Discipleship is the following of biblical teachings while modeling and leading others to Christ and following Him. As a child of God, we are all called to Discipleship. Many times we think of discipleship at church. This may be done through the different ministries and volunteer opportunities within or outside a church organization. However, we often forget the most important discipleship within our Home. Husbands, leading and serving your wife and kids. Wives, loving, respecting, and serving with your husband. As parents, we are the primary faith trainers to teach our kids about God and how to follow Him. Wow, what a responsibility and important role we serve inside our homes!
See, sometimes it's a bit easier to just 'show up' at church and put on a good front to everyone that life is good, all is well. But, if you had been in our home 2 hours earlier, you might have experienced a different scene of melt downs, arguments, unpleasant words that don't uplift, tears and the words coming out of my mouth, "Why even go to church today?" It isn't like that all the time, but let's be real, we have had that Sunday morning before. The devil loves the 'Lord Family' house on Sundays! I will stand by that statement....he thinks he has us. But, the Victory is ours!
By writing about some of these moments in our lives, I am making myself and my family vulnerable; you are getting an authentic dose of 'Us'. Our walk with Jesus, the example of us living it (or failing epically at it) is most vulnerable in our home. My family's image of Jesus should be more evident in my home, than it is in the church building. They see the real me, the true walk with Jesus (and all the stumbles that go with it). My family sees the example on our great days, our bad days, our hurting days, our fearful days and just plain ole everyday. We are not perfect, don't act like it, but my walk with Christ is the most real inside our home.
Let's go back to my original thought; What are you Drinking in & Pouring out?
Part 1, What are you allowing to be poured into YOU? I know my physical body well enough, that if I don't drink enough water, my body is not going to feel good and will not function at its best. Our body is made up primarily of water, so it starves, literally, for me to pour water into it so that it is refreshed, filled up with goodness, cleans out the bad and has the strength to function.
I know spiritually, that if I don't pour God's word, prayer, personal devotional time and worship into myself, I am not going to be able to pour out and share His love with others. If I don't have a close and personal relationship with Him, I'm not going to be able to share and help my husband and kids live out what God has called them to do, be and become. Read that last sentence again, slowly. Think about that, whoever you are, wherever you are in life right now, you have been given a marvelous responsibility as a child of God to help disciple someone...
My challenge to you is open up your heart and allow God's Word and Holy Spirit be poured into you. Pray and seek out His will in the area that you need Him most right now...prayer, daily devotion, reading of scripture, etc....If we don't spend personal time with God in prayer and reading His word, then how are we going to engage and pour the scripture into our families to help them learn His word and apply it to their lives daily. When things get tough, where is your husband or wife going to turn to find love and guidance? Where are your kids going to turn when things are not going well at school, or they have their first heartbreak, faced with the decision to join a friend's temptation or possibly lose a friend for not participating in that temptation, or become ill, or get overlooked again and experience the hurt and disappointments this world has to offer each and everyday?
What are you filled with spiritually in your personal walk with Christ right now? For that will spill over into your family, whether you want it to or not. Maybe next time, we will get deeper into, What are you pouring out?
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29: 12-13 (ESV)
Until next time, our prayer is you allow God to show you what you need poured into your heart so you can pour God's love into others.
When life is spinning, pick your focal point!
Blessings from our family to yours,
Frank and Samantha
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