Every Stream Has A Source

James 3:9-11

"With the tounge we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"

I've always had a compartmentalized view of sin. Sin has been an entity outside myself that lurking in the shadows waiting for me to randomly stumble across it much like I would a pile of dog poop. Forgive the humor in the analogy I just thought it was so good. At the time its unpleasant a little irritating and depending on the size of the dog and size of his/her leftovers determines the stank and messiness factor. BUT none the less still random. I can be on the look out but never sure when it will happen.

Reading James this morning I made a connection. Most of us Church goers would believe... or I hope should believe that we are depraved. inherently sinful. As Christ followers we are actively engaged in a relationship with the Holy Spirit of God "working out our salvation through fear and trembling" or to put it to theologically "sanctification". Grace is free, but after our receiving grace we begin the life long task of diligently allowing God's Holy Spirit to sanctify us and make us "Christ-like" thus the name Christ-ian.

Sin starts in the heart. Today I realized an aspect of scriptures beautiful analogy of "living water" Jesus often talked about streams of living water and James picks up on it in the form of springs in Ch. 3.

Every stream or spring has a source. A source that yields a product and sends it on its marry way winding across the earth watering it and providing life for all. The source of our spring is our heart. The beauty of the Gospel is Jesus' purification of that spring through his death on the cross and the indwelling of his Holy Spirit in the lives of his people.

The picture above is of the Amazon Basin. Beginning as just a few small streams the Amazon grows into the largest river in the world by the time it empties into the ocean. (not longest, Nile still beats it). This river is fed. Our hearts and lives are the same. Jesus renews us and flows out streams of living water, but we are able to pollute it with all kinds of habits, idols, ideas, selfish ambition, greed, immorality, sin.

I got angry at my wife yesterday. I raised my voice at her and it was something I vowed I would never do in my life. Its affects are damaging and is something you never get back. "...with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father an with it we curse men". While repenting about it this morning God showed me that my anger was not a product of my frustration with my current circumstance but a product of what was flowing from my heart. I didn't spend time with God yesterday, I didn't read the word, I didn't allow Jesus to cleanse all my "tributaries" to use the stream analogy.

Brothers and Sisters the fruit of our days and our actions are litmus tests to what is inside. Sin is NOT random isolated choices but a reflection of our hearts pollution. Jesus is a source of living water that yields life to those we pour into, including those most dear to us. How can we praise God and curse our brother? The answer is you cant. As I read the Gospels I see a savior who is concerned with the heart. God doesn't want our lip service. He doesn't want our "Christian Checklists", our Church attendance, or facebook religious status or the occassional post of worship lyrics. While all good things they are incomplete. He wants our hearts. Psalm 24:3-4 "who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." When our hearts are on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, out of our hearts, out of our minds, out of our mouths come living water for a thirsty generation. For a thirsty friend. For a thirsty spouse. For a thirsty world.

As you go about today ask yourself what is polluting your stream? Is Jesus present? One in the same, is his WORD present? You cant know him if you don't seek him.

In John ch. 4 Jesus answered the Samaritan women "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life."

Whose your source?

Go be a spring of Living Water today.

Blessings