Are You Thirsty?
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Text: John 7:37-39
Jesus is both the provision and the provider.
In our text, Jesus says those who believe in Him will have rivers of living water flowing out from their heart. John tells us Jesus was speaking of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that the "fruit" the Holy Spirit produces in the believer is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As we possess these qualities in increasing measure, we become more and more like Jesus.
The process of developing a Christlike character and becoming more like Jesus is called sanctification. It is a result of the grace of God but we are completely and wholly engaged in the process. "Though the power for Christlike character comes from Christ, the responsibility for developing and displaying that character is ours."1 We entirely depend upon the Spirit for sanctification but we also actively pursue it. Paul speaks to the mystery of this process when he writes, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Over the years, I've injured my lower back again and again. Often, I'm even unsure how I injured it. But I know what helps me avoid future injuries and I know the best way to rehab my back when it is injured—by stretching. But I rarely practice preventative stretching. And even when it's injured, I attempt to "push through," and neglect the practice needed to make it better. Occasionally when it's injured, when I'm frustrated and unable to do things I like to do, I begin stretching here and there. But why don't I stretch more often? It's obviously not from a lack of knowledge. I KNOW it helps. My failure is really about priorities and taking the time to do something that isn't very fun or exciting.
I'm convinced that many Christians don't experience rivers of living water flowing out of them for the same root reason that my back continues to struggle—they know what they need to do but they don't do it! And when they do take action, it is only for short bursts of time.
Most of you want to grow spiritually. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't care. We all want joy and peace. We desire to practice self-control. But many are guilty of making commitments and setting big goals, but find that we don't stick with them.
The solution is to build small, consistent habits that will help us worship God and experience real growth. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen, slowly, as you build godly habits into your life. Here are a few key habits to begin building into your life:
- Read the Bible every day.
- Slow down and pray before and after you read.
- Preach the gospel to yourself throughout the day.
- Be active in corporate worship. And don't fill up on chips prior to the meal.
- Be committed to intentionally intrusive, gospel-centered accountability.
- Take a weekly Sabbath (rest) day.
“Your habits are, in fact, one of the most important things about you,” writes David Mathis. “Those repeated actions you take over and over, almost mindlessly, reveal your true self over time as much as anything else.”2
It's All About Jesus,
John
1 Jerry Bridges, The Fruitful Life, https://www.amazon.com/Fruitful-Life-Jerry-Bridges/dp/1600060277/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3QW5XJT842K7T&keywords=jerry+bridges+fruit&qid=1648497997&sprefix=avery+5895%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-2
2 David Mathis, "How Your Habits Show and Shape Your Heart," The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-your-habits-show-and-shape-your-heart/.
