Living wayer

By Travis Clements


Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

When I was about 13 years old, a friend invited me to a youth group event through his church called “Disciple Now.” We went to a youth leader’s house to learn more about God and what it means to be a disciple. I was very new to faith and excited about everything I was learning. I also got a “Disciple Now: Extreme Faith” T-shirt, which I thought was very cool, even though it was a men’s XL and way too big for me. The idea of “extreme faith” made me laugh; it brought forth an image of a snowboarder with a Mountain Dew in one hand, tossing Bibles to onlookers as he performed mid-air tricks. This was the 90s, when extreme sports were surging in popularity, so it was trendy for everything to be “extreme.” I actually still have that shirt! It’s been washed so many times that it’s practically see-through. It’s surprising to me that decades later, I still have both the shirt and the memories of the lessons we were taught that weekend.

One lesson in particular has stuck with me more than any other. It was a simple visual demonstration that the youth leader did at his kitchen sink. He turned on the faucet, filled up a cup, and then removed the cup from the flow of water, leaving the faucet running. This cup, he explained, represented each one of us, and the water inside was God’s Holy Spirit. Then, he grabbed an empty cup. This one represented another person: a family member, a friend, or even an enemy. He proceeded to pour our cup into the other person’s cup. When we serve, witness to, or love someone, he said, we are sharing the Holy Spirit of God with them. He kept pouring until most of the water had been transferred.

Eventually, our cup gets low and needs to be replenished. Other people can pour their cups into ours, but theirs will eventually empty, too. When our spiritual cups are low, we start to doubt God’s will for our lives. We are more easily tempted by sin. We become spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. He warned us that when we try to do God’s will on our own strength, we can get burned out and feel empty inside. But if we surrender ourselves to God and let His living water flow through us to others, His water will eternally sustain us.

He pointed back to the faucet, which was still running, and said it represented God’s constant, unchanging love. Jesus showed us how we can tap into that love by studying scripture, praying, serving others, and worshiping God through our thoughts and actions. To live as God intended, we have to return to the source: the “faucet” with an endless supply. Our youth leader moved our cup back under the running faucet and tilted it toward the second cup. Very quickly, our cup filled up and overflowed into the other cup. Soon after, the second cup began overflowing as well.

While the water continuously poured over the edges of both cups, he reminded us that God is the ultimate source of life and truth. We refill our cups by following Jesus’ example and listening to the Holy Spirit within us. We remain in this flow by reading God’s word, gathering with others at church or in small groups to seek God, giving thanks, worshiping, and praying continuously. God is constant. His living water is always running, always overflowing, and always ready for us to tap into, sustaining us and everyone around us.

Looking back on that youth group event, I realize you don’t need to be a snowboarder performing a Backside Double Cork 1080 to have extreme faith (though praying for a safe landing is wise). Faith is about trust, and extreme faith comes when we follow Jesus, trust God fully with our lives, and become completely dependent on His love.
This week, I encourage you (and myself) to take a moment and check your spiritual “cup.” If you are feeling exhausted, drained, or empty, do not try to do God’s will on your own strength. Step back under the continuous flow of God's love, let His living water restore you, and watch as it naturally overflows into the lives of everyone around you.