Dear Church Family – 

I have a sign above my desk that says, “You Can Be A Fountain, Or You Can Be A Drain!”  Fountains are lovely; they flow and give pleasure – to the eye and in refreshment.  They draw you in.  The sound is calming and comforting.  The flowing water is fresh and not stagnant.  It is free and offered to all, and in some, if you are inclined, you can toss a coin in!

Drains – the dictionary describes a drain as “a thing that uses up a particular resource/ to cause the water or other liquid in (something) to run out, leaving it empty, dry, or drier/ to deprive of strength or vitality” . 

Have you ever met a ‘drain’?  Someone who takes, and takes, but never ‘puts in’.  They always seem to have a problem, or a complaint, they’re always in need; they have their hand out but never to give – only to receive.  This type of person can deprive you of your strength and vitality, and you can get parched, spiritually and practically, if you are not careful in keeping a balance with them, and with yourself.  

Have you ever met a ‘fountain’?  They give freely and are refreshing.  They can bring peace, calm, and even fun and enjoyment to your life.  They always seem to give of themselves in a variety of ways.  What a blessing.

We bought a fountain a few years ago.  It is such a pleasure.  As lovely as it is, it still needs care, and special attention on occasion.  Evaporation, wind, and birds splashing depletes the water level, so we have to add more water.  Birds would drop seeds and bread in it, and leaves would blow in – left to linger it makes the water icky and algae can set in, tainting the water.  Yikes!

It’s the same with us.  If we give out and give out, then we have to refill our ‘well’ when we are getting depleted.  We must be mindful of what we take in and what we give out, and be careful not to let our water get stagnant or tainted with unhealthy or ungodly things, as we certainly do not want to pass that on to others.  

Before Christ, we may have been fountains, but what were we dishing out?  We may have been filled with good intentions and giving freely.  But if it isn’t for Christ – it’s works.  I was a work-a-holic, therefore I felt worth in doing things for others.  Nice, but then it’s all about me.  When I gave my heart to Jesus, He showed me how to do things in Him, through Him, and for His Kingdom, and took the focus off of me and onto Him and His purposes.  I would never want to taint that flow with selfish ambitions, personal agenda’s, greed,  pride, etc.  That’s not what I want to be known for and not what I want others to partake of when they encounter my life fountain.  To do this, I must remain humble, keep my focus on Christ and spend time with Him in His Word, in Prayer, and in Worship, so I remain filled with His fresh, life-giving water.

Well, what do you do if you realize you are a drain? The Bible says that there is new life in Christ.  He takes the old and makes it new.  He can stop up the old ways and fill you to overflowing, so you can give out His love and care for others