I once stumbled upon an old well that was about 30 feet from an old farmhouse and 100 feet from a creek bottom. It seemed about 20 feet deep and 10 feet wide with brick walls and a brick opening. At the time, it had about two feet of crystal-clear water in the bottom, but it was also littered with old trash, dead animals, and other items that had been tossed in over the years. The water was clear, but because of the pollution, it had become contaminated.
That old well comes to mind when I think about our spiritual lives. God’s people are not hoarders of spiritual blessing—if we can pour ourselves out, we will. Paul says as much when he is summarizing his ministry to Timothy at the end of his life: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come (2 Tim. 4:6).” We pour ourselves out in service, teaching, care for others, good works, and in a number of other ways. Pouring ourselves out is a good, Christlike thing to do, but we must be careful lest we fail to pay attention to what pours into us and we become contaminated like that old well.
Like that old well, if we aren’t careful about what we put into our hearts and minds, we might find that our well is contaminated. Contaminated water is as useless as having no water at all. Likewise, our spiritual outpouring is useless if it is mixed with worldliness or falsehood. Thus, we must be diligent, discerning, and intentional about how we refresh ourselves when running low.
What You Are Filled with Matters
If you take the deepest well and begin to pump water out of it at the highest possible volume without ceasing, you will eventually exhaust that well’s resources. It may recover, but it will take time, and the following output levels will be much lower than they originally were. In fact, serious damage may be done, and the well may never return to what it once was. It is the same with our own spiritual output. We must pour ourselves out, but we must also fill ourselves up with what is honoring to God. If we pour ourselves out but never fill ourselves up, then severe damage can be done.
Continual ministry without refilling leads to consequences like burnout, half-hearted service, tainted care, and sin. Though called to pour ourselves out for Christ’s sake, we are not infinite creatures. We are finite, dependent creatures in need of recharging. We are reminded of our limited output every time we require sleep, water, and food; therefore, we need to be constantly recharged. So how can we be recharged?
Sources of Water for the Thirsty Soul
We can’t be filled by just anything—what you are filled by is equally important. We must be recharged by spending time with Christ. Below are three ways that we can be filled in a way that honors Christ:
- We Must Fill Ourselves with the Word (1 Peter 2:2).
We must not wait until we have run dry before we seek to be refilled. Every day, we must continually replenish ourselves with God’s Word. We must let it encourage us, strengthen us, guide us, and mold us. Then, when we pour ourselves out in service to Christ, what will come out will be the pure water of the Word.
- We Must Cultivate Our Relationship with Jesus Through Genuine Prayer.
Reading the Bible for the sake of intellect will not replenish a thirsty soul. However, Bible intake paired with genuine, relational prayer will fill up a parched soul with eternal springs of water (John 4:13–14). If we are walking with Jesus, the source of eternal life, we will be satisfied by his water. We must be connected to the Lord’s supply. We will be of minimal use if we are ministering from something other than a thriving relationship with Jesus.
- We Must Be Replenished in the Context of the Local Church.
Our own personal Bible reading and prayer life can be a source of constant fruit and energy, but our efforts of walking with Jesus are incomplete apart from walking with a congregation of believers. This is by God’s design. Therefore, the local church is the final piece of the puzzle—the icing on the cake—to a full and abundant life of enjoying the treasures of Jesus and pouring them out in service to his name. Every time the church meets together, there is opportunity to be filled up, encouraged, strengthened, enabled, and sent back out to serve the mission of Christ.
Dear Christian, you are called to spend all your resources for the sake of Christ’s glory. But if you do not digest the Word of God regularly, have a vibrant walk with Christ, or be regularly filled in a local church, then your well will run dry. If your heart dries up, then bad things may happen. But Christ is an endless source of life. He can enable us to continue in our service to him. Let us remain connected to him that we may be useful in the King’s service!