 |
| One Love Photo |
The more I write about loving speech {see: A, B, & C}, the more I realize that it's not just about speech; loving speech is one result of being filled with Christ, but there are many other results, too. Remember when I talked about spiritual cisterns? Well, it's like that. Our cisterns {Jeremiah 2:13}, are whatever sustains us and keeps us alive. It can be pretty much anything: financial security, acceptance by peers, body image, anything - name your own; and we will do whatever it takes to keep that cistern full, so that we can stay alive.
The problem with this, is that I am a sinful human being, so my cistern has gigantic cracks and holes in it. I'm leaky. So I spend more time running around refilling my {quickly emptying} cistern trying to keep it alive, so that it can keep me alive. The result is that I'm tired, irritable, and not enjoying the life that my cistern is providing; which also means that I'm not being loving of heart, mind, or speech. Everything revolves around refilling my cistern so that I can be happy and fulfilled in my life; this leaves no room for building up other people {read: husband, friends, strangers, brothers and sisters in Christ}. Folks, my life is not about me - it's about glorifying Him who created me.
But! When Jesus Christ is our cistern, then He flows through and from our hearts and our lives become pictures of Him. We become refreshed and our lives become fulfilling and enjoyable, because He is fulfilling, enjoyable, and good. He is our living water {John 4:10-15}, and we can never, ever, ever exhaust His store of grace. Like a faucet that can never be turned off, and can never run dry, He fills us with His love and grace. And when our heart and cistern being constantly filled with Him, then we can spill over and pour Him into other peoples' lives, through loving thoughts, words, and actions. And He is glorified.
See how everything is connected? I can't have one without the other. I can't be loving without God who is love {1 John 4:7-11}.
Spend some time today just being filled with Him, take some quiet time, turn on some worship music, dance, sing, read or pray. Then love on the next person you meet. Christ's love is more fulfilling when shared.
"Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." -John 4:13-14
Labels: bible, faith
