Religion: Let him refresh your soul, fill your cup

By Pastor Julia Cramer

Cole Methodist Church

If you have been pretty hot these last few weeks — raise your hand! The heat can be brutal. 

If you sit out in the sun for hours, with no sunscreen, and drink no water, you have immersed yourself in a foolish environment that is going to not only make you sick and give you sun stroke: It might actually kill you.

We must make wise decisions in life and protect ourselves from a harmful environment. It is simply common sense. And yet, so many people subject themselves to an ungodly environment, whether in person or on social media, and they wonder why their personal life is suffering!

The literal sun will burn you, but so will an ungodly, foolish environment. It is only a matter of time before you will suffer from the bad influences in which you are subjecting your body, mind and soul.

Protect your skin and protect your heart. Guard it. That’s just common sense. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

That simply means we set up healthy boundaries to protect ourselves from physical and emotional harm. Avoid toxic relationships and build relationships on mutual trust where Christ is at the center.

In the midst of the hot weather, don’t forget to take a drink from Christ, the Living Water. He will quench your thirst and satisfy your deepest longings. Just like physical water is necessary for our bodies, Jesus, the Living Water, is necessary to quench the thirst of our souls.

If you haven’t taken a drink from him, try it, let him refresh your soul in a way you never dreamed possible. John 6:35 says: “Whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” His soul-quenching fountain never runs dry. Every day ask him to fill your cup – and he will.