“Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38
Whatever fills you will flow out of you. If you are full of resentment, anger, and self-pity, then these will flow out of you. But as you drink of Christ, you will find that the peace, love, and joy that are in Him will increasingly be in you, and because they are in you, they will flow out of you.
Drink of Christ, and you will be a means of blessing to a thirsty world. As you receive from Christ, you will be able to minister for Christ. What comes to you will flow through you, and what you receive you will be able to give. This is the secret of authentic, sustainable ministry.
We all know how easy it is for Christians to project an image of something that really isn’t true. We do this when we speak words that we don’t really mean, or when we pretend to have blessings we don’t really enjoy.
But notice that Jesus says, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (7:38). In the Bible, the heart is the core of the being. Here’s the truth about the person whose pattern of life is coming to Jesus, believing in Jesus, drinking of Jesus, and receiving from Jesus. Whatever the pressures you face or the conflicts you endure, the deepest thing about you is that, in Jesus, you have a fountain that satisfies the deepest thirsts of your soul.
If the pattern of your life is to come to Jesus, believe in Jesus, drink of Jesus, and receive from Jesus, then you will not be putting on an act. Rivers of living water will flow from your heart, because you are drinking from the inexhaustible fountain.
You see, all ministry is overflow, and authentic ministry is giving out what you have taken in.
Four words—coming, believing, drinking, and receiving. Name some ways you are doing each of these, and if you’re not, then think of what you can start doing today.
