No More Dirty Water!

"but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." NIV (Jesus was talking.) 

I find this verse absolutely fascinating. This is because the Jews who lived in the Middle East 2,000 years ago understood the necessity of water. They didn't have options like we do. Here and now, if I don't want water I can have kool-aid, coca-cola, dr. pepper, naked juice, a double chocolate chip mocha frappacino, and basically anything else I could ever possibly try to conceive, it's available. If I don't want water, I can go a looooooong time without having it. For example, today I've had: milk, dr. pepper, coca-cola, and Crystal Light ruby red grape fruit juice... aka... not water. The Israelites had fewer options: milk, wine, juice (not sure if they had un-fermented juice..), and water. 

....they understood the necessity of water. Us? Not so much. 

Disclaimer: I'm not saying anything bad about anyone who prefers (literally) other drinks over water. That's just fine. This all just  an abstract analogy.

Water is one of the most beneficial things we have. Our bodies are 75% water. This is common knowledge. Here are some lesser known facts about dehydration.

1. In 1/3 of Americans, the thirst sensation is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. This shocks me, but at the same time, it makes sense. I see people time and time again (particularly in high school) searching and searching for some girlfriend or boyfriend to make them happy, but oftentimes, what I think they really need is the love of a Father. I know that sounds cliched, but I think it's true. I think we look to our friends and family and spouses and children and televisions and facebook pages in search of something that's not really what we need at all. 
2. Research suggests that 8-10 glasses of water a day eases back & joint pain for 80% of sufferers. People hurt. God can heal. Never underestimate the healing power of a God who is almighty.
3. A 2% drop in body water causes fuzzy memory, trouble with basic math, and problems focusing on a computer screen or printed page. Your brain desperately needs water to function at its best.  We desperately need God's love, grace, and overall goodness to function. We need God. We can pretend like we don't, but we do. 
4. Sound dehydration statistics suggest 75% of citizens in developed countries are chronically dehydrated.  We are so used to living our lives without God, to getting inadequate nourishment elsewhere, that we're used to being dehydrated.

All of that just seems insane to me. Of course, all of these things about water benefits are only good if the water isn't polluted. I think the water we see is very much polluted. Just to give you an idea of what diseases that live in polluted water, here is a list! Ready, list is here: Amoebiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, Cyclosporiasis, Giardiasis, Microsporidiosis, Schistosomiasis, Dracunculiasis, Taeniasis, Fasciolopsiasis, Hymenolepiasis, Echinococcosis, coenurosis, Ascariasis, Enterobiasis, Botulism, Campylobacteriosis, Cholera, Dysentery, Legionellosis, Typhoid fever, SARS, Hepatitis A, and Polio. That's a LOT.

 There are a lot of pollutants that are living in the "living water" the church is trying to give. People aren't stupid. They don't want it.

Why do we expect people to drink water like this?

If Christ is our living water, if Christ is what is pure and good and beneficial, what are we giving them? 

What have we been pushing for them to take? Things that cause disease and pain? What have we been adding to the water?

What have we been feeding ourselves? 

If we're giving it to others, surely, we're drinking it too, right? What are we doing to ourselves if we are taking this in? How many of us live in constant pain because of the contaminants in our water?


My prayer for all of us, myself included, is that we get back to pure water. I pray that we find what is good and true and beneficial. I pray that we begin to extend pure living water to those around us, that we give good water to those that are thirsty.

"Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." -Psalm 63:1 (KJV)