How many times have we heard the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"? We have analyzed it and used it many times as examples. In my younger years, a friend of mine had several horses. We would go out together and he would lead those horses to the watering tank. What I noticed was some drank, some didn't. It took me a few years because maybe I am a little s-l-o-w but I realized you don't have to make a thirsty horse drink! If you lead them to the water, if they are thirsty, they will do the rest on their own. The difference between those that drink and those that don't drink is within the horse, not the water availability! A tank of water that holds 500 gallons of fresh, clean water (they had a windmill that pumped fresh water in daily) but it holds no appeal at all to a horse that is not thirsty.
Okay, I hope you see where I am going with this. The same is with people, especially those in the church. You can preach/teach and have all the available water but if there is no desire within the ones listening to God's word, it will hold no appeal. Jesus, in John 4, met the Samaritan woman at a well. He offers her living water to drink and that water will become a well, springing up to eternal life (v.13-14). The only question that had to be answered was within her being. Did she thirst? Jesus never chased people down when they did not respond. He let them go!
Looking back in my preaching life, I have tried many times to make people drink that were mediocre, lukewarm and just did not have a real interest. People like that are not thirsty. No amount of encouragement will change their desire. That desire must come from within them. I have been guilty of trying to "guilt" people to drink, for which I have long repented of. That only made them more stubborn. I was actually aiding their spiritual decline and not even aware. You try to push fleshly, stubborn people with fleshly ways (and many times brethren use fleshly ways to push) and they only become more fleshly and stubborn. I have wised up. Some in the body of Christ think that if we just keep reaching out, try to involve people more, invite them to gatherings to keep them in touch with members will change things. That's the fleshly way of doing it. There is no power in that. The desire must come from within each individual. Thirsty people will drink!
Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake, for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6) Jesus fills those who hunger and thirst. No hunger, no thirst, no help from the Lord. Just add it up! The Psalmist writes, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pant for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" (Psa. 42:1-2)
Today in the church, too many pant and thirst for the wrong things. What I have learned is simple and some have difficulty in accepting it: Let's stop trying to make the unthirsty people drink and reach out to those who pant and thirst for God. It keeps you from frustrations and keeps you out of trying to control things out of your control. Too many are trying to take on God's role to motivate people. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'come.' And let the one who hears say, 'come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." (Rev. 22:17)
No comments:
Post a Comment