I have a slight obsession with moisturizers. My family calls them my lotions and potions. I was putting my moisturizer on one morning and looked at the jar. I realized that it was more than half empty. I thought, “wow, how did that happen?” I haven’t had the bottle that long, and I don’t use much of it every morning. I then realized that even a little bit, taken out daily, affects the whole. I mean, that is pretty obvious, but it happens so slowly that I didn’t realize how much I had used. I ignored the amount of moisturizer but just followed my morning routine. And it had been several months since I opened the jar. Time goes by, and before you know it, months have passed.
I thought about life and how this could happen to me on a spiritual level. If I do not try to stay close to God daily, I may slip away little by little. It may be in subtle ways. Maybe I don’t trust God and make a decision that would have been better to wait on. Moses is an excellent example of this. If he had obeyed God and spoken to the rock to bring water out of the rock instead of striking the rock (Numbers 20:8-11), he would have been able to enter the promised land. Perhaps it was frustration with the Israelite people that led him to this action, but it didn’t matter to God. Maybe he was just tired, physically or emotionally. Again, it did not matter. Little by little, his faith wavered, and he didn’t fully obey God. Like Moses, my faith can deplete in small increments, and before I know it, I am taking matters into my own hands. I may not realize how much I am doing or giving, but the reserve tank is getting lower little by little. I need to maintain communion with God and fill up the reserve; otherwise, I will be empty and not know how I got to that point. The same thing can happen with my spiritual life as my morning routine. I must pay attention, not just go on autopilot and go through the motions of bible reading and praying. I must press in and listen to God’s voice. His voice may be encouragement, direction, discipline, or just whispering His presence with me.
The Bible has several scriptures on God filling us. He fills us with joy (John 16:24), hope (Psalm 63:5-6), peace (Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 29:11), his Spirit (John 16:7), and eternal life (John 10:28-30). The old hymn Fill my Cup, Lord (Jessy Dixon) came to mind. We need to be filled by Jesus to be the light of Christ. The refrain’s last line is “fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.”I know that is what I am looking for – wholeness. I know when something is missing in my life. Where I go to get filled makes a big difference. If I try to fill the holes in my life, spiritually, emotionally, or mentally, by things of this world or by my willpower, I will always come up short. I will be like the woman at the well, going daily to get water to quench my thirst. Like this woman wanting her thirst quenched, we need to turn constantly to Jesus to drink his living water. But, if I take Jesus up on his offer to drink of him for living water, I will never run dry. I must remember to turn only to Jesus and make this my first step to be filled so I can pour out onto the dry, arid land around me. I want to pour out of an overflow, not out of empty. When I am dry and need filling, I cannot be a good image bearer and pour God’s love, hope, and peace into others. No matter how much I want to, I cannot give what I do not possess.
As I was putting the jar away, I thought, what would happen if I could put a little back every day? How long would it take to fill back up? The same would be true about filling as draining. A little bit at a time may not be noticed, but if little by little I put something in, eventually, it would fill up again. Sadly, I do not manufacture moisturizer, so that isn’t possible. However, I can put a little growth every day into my soul. What would happen if I concentrated on just one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit until it became a habit and then moved on to another? What if I had more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)?
Would anyone notice at first if I was just a little more patient or kind? How long would it take before the meter started to go up enough for people to say, “wow, how did that happen?” Would I grow weary and give up if I did not get recognition when I thought I should? I believe this is possible if I grow and change for the wrong reason. If I try to be kinder, gentler, and exhibit more self-control for my glory and good name, I think I will give up before the work is complete. However, if I am doing this so that God can be seen in my life and His light can radiate into a dark world, I think it will be easier to stick to the plan and keep going.
A slow drip will eventually fill up a basin just like a fully turned-on faucet. It will just take longer. Filling up may cost me something. At first, the water bill may not look very different, but that slow drip adds up over time. In the same way, filling up for God may cost me personally. I will have to deny myself some earthly pleasures that do not give eternal rewards. This process of filling may cost me friendships or other relationships. However, over time these changes will pay off with great abundance in my being able to pour out into the world around me and glorify God. He will repay me for whatever I lose on earth. I have rewards waiting for me in heaven that is worth the cost now.
How long would it take to make a difference if I added to my spiritual well every day? I guess that would depend on how much time and effort I put into making changes. I could start by smiling at people I see on my errands, saying thank you to the store clerk, or patiently waiting my turn at the four-way stop. Over time these habits would become second nature, and while it may seem like I am draining myself, I am, in fact, pouring into someone else and filling them up.
I read a devotional in Our Daily Bread on Living Water (Patricia Rayson, September 21, 2022). It finishes with “God’s refreshing Spirit revives us today when we’re life weary. He’s the Living Water, dwelling in our souls with holy refreshment. May we drink deeply today.” This thought was so inspiring to me. Just like freshwater revives droopy and lifeless flowers, when I am limp and lifeless, I want to immediately turn to Jesus and drink deeply of the Living Water he offers. As your well is being drained, like my moisturizer, instead of wishing there was more, drink deeply of Jesus when you are thirsty and watch the Spirit revive your soul. He will replenish what the world is draining, and you will be able to pour out into the thirsty people you encounter.
Peace in the Desert 