11/03/2023
REFRESHING by Heather Ford Lark
When we know we will be meeting someone for the first time, or we have a job interview, or any time we want to show our best self, and make a good impression, we are likely to take extra care with how we look.
There’s a phrase ‘one look is worth a thousand words’ – attributed to a Japanese philosopher, and sometimes who or what we are comes across more in how we look, and how we act than any number of words we might say. So, we want to show our best self rather than the ordinary self that can be a little messy at times.
But with God it’s different. We can’t ‘dress to impress’ Him because He knows what we are like inside already,
When Jesus had the conversation with the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria in John chapter 4, she was taken aback by the revelation that Jesus already knew about her. She had come to collect water in the heat of the day, rather than early or late in the day when it was cooler, possibly to avoid seeing other people who may condemn her for the life she led.
Jesus understood where she was coming from, what was important to her, what her weaknesses were, and what her strengths were. She must have sensed that Jesus accepted her, for she did not appear to feel that what He said was invading her personal space. Jesus recognized her potential, and with knowledge of her life, He still accepted her. And Jesus told her about water which could quench her thirst completely, and become a spring of water welling up to give her life that would lasts forever.
Maybe sometimes we feel diminished, or a lesser person, in the company of people who seem to judge us without knowing all the facts, or who condemn us without giving us a chance to explain. But in the gaze of our loving God, in the look of Jesus, we can be assured that we are known and accepted .
Jesus was explaining the way that He can fill our lives through His Holy Spirit living within us. The offer of God filling our lives – with joy, peace, hope, wisdom, and true freedom – is a wonderful gift that can satisfy us in a way that nothing else can.
And the more we come to God for Him to fill us up, and to give us His love for others, and His Holy Spirit to guide us, the more we will find that we are a source of comfort, love, and integrity for other people.
Lent is a good time to ask ourselves the question:
What sources do I tend to use to fill me up and refresh me, that actually don’t last very long or leave me feeling dissatisfied?
There used to be an advert for a well-known beverage that claimed that it reached the parts that other drinks did not. I still remember the advert but the effects of that drink would have worn off soon after taking a glass, whereas what God offers is forever.
We don’t need to rely on other things when God’s living water would be far more refreshing, long-lasting, and life-changing . We can ask God to refresh us, bring new life within us, and give us a greater desire for God’s agenda in our lives, and the wisdom that He offers.
Christianity is more than a set of beliefs and a story; it is the presence of the Holy Spirit of God – working in us to bring life, refreshment, change and growth.
One way of asking God to refresh us and fill us is to hold an empty cup in our hands.
Look at all the room the cup has for filling.
Picture an inner part of yourself and notice how much space there is for filling.
Imagine drinking a refreshing drink of water and how good that feels when you are really thirsty.
Hold the cup out before you in the gesture of someone asking for something.
Ask God to flow into your life and refresh you in whatever way you need.
Opening ourselves up to God’s refreshment and filling is a practice that we can do every day. Perhaps instead of using a cup, you might like to hold your hands with the palms uppermost as you ask God to refresh you.
These simple actions can show our willingness to trust in God’s love for us and that we want to receive from Him.
Jesus promises that those who drink of the water that He gives will never be thirsty. The water that He gives will become in them a fresh spring of water giving eternal life. (John 4:14).
