Lord, Please Make Me a Fountain – Not a Drain

I had an “aha” moment as I was adding water to the base of my children’s fountain. In these hot temperatures, the water evaporates quickly so it requires an occasional fill-up. I started thinking about how to be an unstoppable fountain of life and not a drain. Putting it into “people terms” – it’s striving to be a life-giver -- a positive encourager instead of a negative drainer.

I'm sure you can think of a few negative people who can take an intended joyful time and turn it into a draining time. They have difficulty finding the good in anything. We love them, but if we hang around them for very long, we sense our own joy draining. No doubt, they may have had some really negative stuff happen in their lives and it has impacted their heart and soul. We all have a past that tries to bind us, or maybe a present that insists on weighing us down and even a future that shows no glimmer of hope. But, no matter what – there is always the Source of Hope Who dwells within us if we are believers in our God of Hope. And, we want that for them, too!

We can’t always change our circumstances or our past, but we can change how we view our life as it moves forward. If we find ourselves facing life with dread, then I’d like to offer you a few of my personal habits that have served me well and kept my fountain overflowing instead of draining life out of me, as well as those in my sphere of influence.

~ Be positive. It can be a work-out, but when we do, it becomes second nature and it creates a fountain of life to others.

~ Count your blessings. Start right here to find your happy place. We woke up this morning. We were able to get up out of bed on our own. We have a place to live. We have food to eat. We have God Who loves us so much. Keep in mind there is always someone who has a much tougher time than we do!

~ Be hopeful. Hope is a wondrous thing. I’m passionate about this one because “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13.12). We all need to reach down inside for our child-like anticipation for the future. It's possible with God because He provides a hope that makes the heart healthy and filled with joy. God has our best interests at heart. God wants good things for us, plans to prosper us, and not harm us. Sometimes we slip-up or the world throws us a curve-ball, but it doesn’t change who He is. He is always good, and always desires good for us. That is always and forever a reason to have HOPE! Let's blow up that HOPE balloon and let it fly!

~ Surround yourself with positivity. We become those who we hang around if we let them. Sit with an incessant complainer and before long it’s natural to gravitate to their side and we are complaining about this and that, too. Hang out with life-givers and our fountain starts to overflow with life!

~ Encourage others. Who wants to be a drain that depletes others of their God-given inherent joy? Not me! I want to be a fountain-of-life encourager who speaks life. Positive words empower and energize others. Let’s fill up the fountain within us so it has a never-ending spring of Living Water flowing to those around us. God knows they may be going down for the last time in murky waters of unbelief and negativity. God may be sending out a 9-1-1 call for you and I to be His emergency "springs of living water" provider.

John 7:37-38 "Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “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.”

Are You Running on Empty -- Physically AND Spiritually?

At any given time, you’ll see me with my “must-have” 30 oz. Yeti mug with ice water in it. After a couple of physical issues and how they could have been averted by drinking more water, I now know the benefits of drinking water. Nutritionists say we should drink half our body weight in ounces every day. So a 135-pound person should be drinking 67 ounces of water each day. So, with my 30 oz. Yeti mug, I just need a little more than 2 mugs full. But, I drink a lot more than that. Now I’m programmed with a built-in “low-fluid indicator” and when I start to get a little thirsty, I know it’s time to fluid-up!

God wired us with this built-in “low-fluid indicator.” It's called THIRST. If the fluid level gets low, the signals will flare. Dry mouth. Achy head. Weak knees. Dizziness. If we deprive our bodies of fluid, our bodies will tell us. When my granddaughter had a headache, I heard my daughter ask "How much water are you drinking?"

God also wired us with a built-in "low-spiritual fluid indicator". If we deprive our souls of spiritual water, the signals will flare -- like heavy-hearted, sad, weary, depressed, grumpy, fearful, anxious, envious, moody, angry. If we deprive ourselves of spiritual fluid, our souls will reveal it.

In John 4:13-14, Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks this (natural) water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

Jesus offers living water that will permanently satisfy our thirst. If we feel unsatisfied with our lives, that’s called spiritual thirst. And the only one who can quench that thirst is the One who said, “I thirst.” Jesus thirsted on the cross so we don’t have to thirst. He paid for what we don’t have to pay for. He became thirsty so we never have to be thirsty again.

A that never runs dry. It's time to "hang out" at THAT FOUNTAIN. There we'll be refreshed, restored, rejuvenated and replenished......and not only will we know and feel the difference -- others will recognize the difference. They’ll say “You’ve been hanging out at THE FOUNTAIN" again. How about taking me with you next time? I need my fluids refilled, too!”