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"Should my water be hotter?"
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9 comments:
Should my water be hotter? I don't know. To be honest I'm afraid of hot water. If I'm not careful, the bathwater is too hot and could hurt my little girl. Hot water burns, it scalds, and can burn through pot holders and gloves. Hot water comes with warning labels.
I've noticed though when I'm doing dishes, or washing something and trying to get stains out, that the hotter the water is the easier it is to clean something. Grease seems to vanish away, hard dried on food bits under the hot splash of water seems to almost instantly soften. Stains I haven't been able to get out of clothes, come out with hot water and soap. Hot water hurts though.
The water in my cup though, is much the same. When I get too hot even though it can be cleansing it still can hurt and burn depending on the surface I splash onto. Too often I've been so determined to get the stains out of some people, that I've missed the fact that I'm hurting them. Skin is blistering and turning red, and they're so busy trying to protect themselves from my cleaning them up, that we both end up with burns.
I've learned to be afraid of hot water. I'm nervous when your hot water comes too close to me, and even more nervous when I feel my water coming to a boil, even if it's with passionate zeal and excitement. I don't want anyone to get burned. But I hate the idea of turning the fire down. Maybe I should just focus on getting the water as hot as I can stand.
I am reminded of the scripture in Revelation 3:16 concerning being neither hot nor cold.
Lukewarm is the temperature that you ran an infants bathwater. You want the child to not be traumatized and to have an experience they can experience again without throwing a tantrum. It is a temperature that is meant to not stimulate.
But when I think of a cup of liquid I am also puzzled why at the exact same temperature a drink that is expected to be hot is cold; and the expected cold drink is considered hot? The interesting part is that both drinks are lukewarm, neither being what is desired; they both become unacceptable to us.
I feel like the water in our spiritual; cup is there to refresh. At times providing warmth as does a cup of hot chocolate. Just holding the cup warms your hands that first sip stimulates every memory of all the cups that preceded this one, and then it warms you from the inside out, placing a smile on your lips as you pull the cup away, already anticipating the net sip. Other times is it the life refreshing coolness of spring water. Water that invites you to seek solace from the sun, to take a moment from your labor to give back to your body what is being expended, so that you are able to continue with the task at hand.
If I use the word water as a metaphor for spirit, then I definitely need for my water to be hotter. I need a burning desire to take the gospel to the lost.
If on the other hand, I use hot water as a reference to my cosmic energy, then my water is already hot, and getting hotter. I'm glad for that. For way too many years I have accepted getting by, now I want the abundance of joy and blessings that God makes available to me.
Finally, if hot water is used in the negative conotation of "being in trouble", then I'll pass on the hot water.
Should my water be hotter? I'm not so sure it should. If I am the cup and God's spirit in me is the water, then the temperature can and more importanlly,should be controlled by Him. There are people who can't take the hotter water. As in our individual tastes, some love hot drinks others like cold drinks. I have found over the years that even when I feel cool and unproductive, God uses where I am as a witness to Him. If I were to rush in and try to warm up the water I could be spoiling it for someone He has watching me. We are always wittness for him. I know that we can be bad wittnesses for Him as well as good,but if my walk with Him is sweet and true, then I will also be able to trust that he will bring those to the cup that can use whatever temp water I have to share. So many times in my past I have worried,was I able to allow this or that person to see Chirst in me.Did I say the right thing, do the right thing, and in my imaturity felt that I had control over these times. Whether my water is hot or cold, God will be able to use it for His good. Where He has placed me in space and time,I know I will not be a red hot dirnk served in Africa, saving the masses. But I can be the cup that He made be to be, with the warm to even cool water He has placed inside, to quench the thirst of those He brings my way. Ruth
I'm sure my water needs to be hotter. I'm still quite new as a Christian (see my belated post for last month's topic) - which often results in someone being on fire. I'm not like that. Receiving His grace wasn't like flipping a switch for me. I need to learn more.
And this is where the heat needs to be turned up - I've been trying to make my way cover to cover through the Bible. I'm only up to Deuteronomy, which is disappointing. I love the stories of the Old Testament. My favorite Bible study classes have been about Esther and Nehemiah. Daniel's my favorite book of the Bible. (Well, that's not fair to the books that I haven't read yet.) All that being said, it's really hard to read those first five books. List upon list of unpronounceable names and places, numbers, rules for sacrifice. I think if I were on fire, I'd burn right through this.
A couple times in my pre-Christian days, I got curious and picked up the Bible. I got bogged down early in Genesis.
I haven't been disciplined enough to use one of those "read the Bible in a year" plans. I do have a "guide book" I'm happy with now called "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart. The thing I like is their description of the entire Bible as being about Jesus Christ. That can help, while reading some of those lists in the first five books, when the question "What does this have to do with me and my journey?" inevitably creeps up.
If anyone has some advice, I'd love to hear it.
When I get into a too-hot bath water I step high and often, do a little dance while it's cooling off, enjoying the exhiliration of the hot. Slowly I get my full body into "hot as I can stand it," and there I stay until it gets cold. Then I run the hot to as "hot as I can stand it" and keep it there until I feel comfortable and relaxed. The next time I lounge in the whirlpool I do the same.
I enjoy the hot, but I can't stay there too long. I linger in the "hot as I can stand it" and grow discontented in the cold.
Ministry is like that! You figure out the symbolism.
should my water be hotter?
tough question.
i reminds me of this passage in Revelation 3
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Clay,
Take a look at
http://www.sunsetpres.org/rttb
see if it might be something that would assist you in your reading.
This post comes from Lindy @ http://home.nycap.rr.com/willslin/
Take a pot of hot water and a frog. Throw the frog into the pot; he will jump out. Now, take a pot of cold water, put the frog in it, and place the pot on the stove. Turn on the heat. The frog, because of the incremental change in temperature, will not notice that it is slowly being boiled.
This illustrates how often, we get into a situation that seems harmless but after a time, things get "hotter" and we find ourselves compromising what we believe.
God will take us through the Refiner's fire - Fire is hot, not comfortable...
1 Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory...
Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
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