I wrote this piece during level 5 lockdown when I was seeing a lot of my garden with walking 17 laps on a daily basis. I tried to find new things to photograph and enjoy on a daily basis. Sometimes it was an analogy.
We have a water tank in our back garden. It collects water from the run off on the corner of the roof. But it has no natural or easy outlet at the moment. It needs a connection at the bottom that we can then attach a hosepipe to. If I want to use the water inside, I have to fill back breaking buckets full, hence it pretty much gets ignored.
Guess what the insides look like? Black, slimy sludge.
The dictionary says this of stagnant water: A body of water in a confined space having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence.
Stagnate means no activity. It got me thinking to the Christian life and what happens when we stagnate. This past Sunday our pastor preached on James 2 - Faith and Deeds, and it prompted me to finish putting this blog together. When we stagnate we stop developing, stop growing, progressing or advancing. Our mind goes to sleep. When we are without current or circulation we become unproductive,ineffective, sluggish and dull.
No outlet means no freshness, no new life and vitality is lost. We become bored, stop learning and don't use our skills and talents. That tank is no good without an outlet, it smells and is probably a breeding ground for all sorts of undesirable things like mosquitoes and moss. Idle hands and idle minds are a space for evil to flourish.
It was interesting to see during lockdown in South Africa how it was easy to have less activity taking place. It was unusual times and rest was necessary for many. It's okay to stop and rest a while and not engage, but we can't stay there. It's not healthy for us.
As people we generally like action on the part of others. People who have important jobs and positions - we want action. Just think how we have had these expectations of our President in response to Covid-19. It's an expectation in our world.
God speaks about being active in his service. He is not slow to act. We are told in James that faith without works is dead, like a literal rotting corpse. Look at the inside of that tank - imagine if that's what we want the world to see our faith as? God says do not become weary in doing good. He also says, renew your mind, obey my commands, follow me, come to me, help others, tell the good news, worship, do acts of service, pray for others, present your requests, go into all the world, make fishers of men, give, love one another, serve others, encourage others, run the race, work out your salvation, read his word, sing, make music, dance! That's a pretty active life that he expects us to live.
There are always spaces for surrender, but surrender, letting go, being still, resting and trusting God are not the same as inactivity. It is an active choice to let go and surrender.
There have been times where I have watered the nearby plants by taking bucket fulls of water out of the tank. Then it creates newness and life. (My neighbour has actually offered to install an outlet at some point.)
What's filling you? Where's your outlet? As we were asked on Sunday, how's your heart? and how are you living as someone saved with the gift of eternal life? Our faith should have a natural working out with fruits in the way we live.
'Faith is active, it is activating and it is lived out.' (Trevor Anderson)
'Faith is active, it is activating and it is lived out.' (Trevor Anderson)
We need to be a channel of blessing to those around us. Are we bringing life, the aroma of Christ or are we just stinking up the place?
There's life inside of all of us, but it's no good if there's no outlet. How do you allow God to flow in, through and out of you? We can't depend on others to do it for us. If it is to be, it's up to me. Our faith should naturally lead to works of service. It validates and authenticates the faith we profess.
One thing lockdown has done is show the vast difference between those who have and those who don't. There have been and still are many hungry people around us. People in our City and country have risen to this occasion in amazing ways in passing on clothing, bedding, household items and food. We don't have to look far to find needs at the moment. We should never be bored - there is always something to do in reaching out to others in their time of need and show people what the Kingdom of God is all about.
We cannot tire in doing good as lockdown continues and beyond. There will always be many practical ways you can stay like an overflowing outlet of God's love, life, mercy and justice to those around you.
