Water Pressure
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:1-2
One of the greatest inventions of our time is indoor plumbing and having running water in our homes. Can you imagine what it was like for our grandparents and great grandparents who had to lug heavy buckets inside for every household task? Bathing, cooking, washing floors and clothes, dishes, or numerous other daily tasks required great effort to complete. Thankfully, most of us are blessed with running water, but you may have experienced low pressure or a boil water notice. This is issued due to bacteria or other contaminants potentially entering the central lines through small holes or cracks. This is a dangerous situation because if these contaminants enter the water, they will make us sick. Water pressure, therefore, is an apt metaphor for God’s word and our minds.
Prior to the printing press, Bibles were rare and highly valued. It took great effort to obtain one. In many instances, the Bible was not even translated in the local language. Now, the Bible is the number one bestseller every year, and anyone in the United States can have one on demand. We all have the convenience of God's "running water" in our homes and building up our "water pressure."
When we let our mind's water pressure become low through a lack of daily Bible reading, then we leave room for temptations or evil thoughts to enter and permeate our minds. Then our minds become like pipes that must first be treated and flushed through repentance and then filled with the word of God so when pressure is restored, the contaminants will be forced out and there will be no room for anything else. This is how Jesus resisted temptation and fought off the devil - He said, "It is written..." (Matthew 4:4a). The word is the sword of the Spirit, and when we fight as Jesus did, we conquer our temptations, and the devil is driven off.
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul tells the Roman believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, not to be conformed to this world, and to renew their minds. These may appear to be divergent thoughts, yet they are intrinsically linked.
If we are not engaged in a routine Bible study, our water pressure gets low, and we become susceptible to the devil's attacks. Temptation enters our minds and sinful actions follow. We conform to the world's standards, and we have failed in our purpose.
Our water pipes are not built simply to hold water, for it would stagnate, but it is to flow freely for the benefit of all. Even if we are full of God's word, when we are not active in Christian service and living sacrificially as Christ's body, we become bored and feel unfulfilled. Idle minds and idle lives lead to temptations and sin. Without daily Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and then giving sacrificial service to those we encounter, we become unfruitful to the Kingdom.
Jesus calls us to be vessels of living water to a dried out and dying world. By serving others, we show His love by fulfilling our purpose that God has for us. As a result, we can feel joyful and fulfilled.
As Jesus' body here on earth, opportunities to serve are everywhere. Nursing homes, youth mentoring, prison ministry, and homeless ministry are just a few ways that we can impact this world. When our pipes are full of the word of God, it is only natural to let the water flow through us. We are to resist being conformed to this world, so that the world will be conformed to Christ's image exemplified in us. By asking God to both fill and use us, we prove what is good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
