Wow! Practically the entire country is sitting under a heat dome. Record temperatures have been noted throughout the South and parts of Arizona, Texas, and Colorado. Extreme temperatures are also finding their way around the globe as they go through Europe, Asia, and parts of the Atlantic. In a word, it’s hot!
So how can you keep your cool when the temperatures are rising? Of course, for our purposes, we’ll be talking about how to keep your spiritual cool, you know that part of you that relies on God even in a heat wave. The biggest thing of course is to stay hydrated. Water is your friend, and it keeps nearly everything about you running smoothly. It regulates your temperature, supports your digestion, transports nutrients, and flushes away the stuff you don’t need. Water is cool! Jesus called Himself “living water,” saying if you drank His water, you would never thirst again, no matter how hot it was outside. That sounds like amazing water to me!
The intention of His metaphor then was to remind us that just like tap water sustains life through all the ways we’ve noted, the kind of water Jesus gave sustained spiritual life, and not just for today, but forever. Jesus is the cooling agent, the source, the water that keeps you satisfied in all kinds of weather. The good news is that with Him, the well never runs dry. You can always be refreshed and replenished.
It’s also helpful to stay calm when it’s too hot for your liking. In other words, be kind to those who are troubled by the heat wave and be patient with those who just can’t fan themselves enough. After all, it’s not easy to maintain your bliss when even a breeze isn’t comforting. So, you get the point. You can do things that will make you feel better despite the heatwave. It may not change your thermostat, but it will likely help you feel a bit cooler. If you’re struggling with the heat, remember that Jesus is your wellspring, your never-ending supply of refreshment.
So, how about some nice cold lemonade?