Christian Living

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I remember going camping in Massachusetts with a group of friends from my church. For several of us we were roughing it maybe for the first time, at least I think I was One thing I particularly liked doing was taking a guided tour down the Connecticut River; the guide talked about the wildlife, and the area in general. It was a very pleasant trip. For many people a vacation is not a vacation without being around water.

For some, the word river brings to mind enjoyable times spent fishing or other water sports with family or friends. The Bible has many scriptural references about rivers that offer comfort; verses that talk about rivers of living water (John 7:38), rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:20), our life in heaven where a river of the water of life coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). Before we get to that wonderful river we have so much living to do here on earth.

Rivers can be slow and meandering, cool and refreshing, ending much like they began, flowing into a peaceful valley; others run wild along roughly hewn passageways of stone; large, jutting rocks in the river hinder the way of brave rafters in their chosen course until they reach the end of the river’s rampage in safety. Apart from God’s intervention, rivers are not able to change direction or characteristics. Man can harness nature to a point, such as in the building dams that stop the flow of a river or locks that raise or lower boats from one level to another along the river, but God has the ultimate control to bring about or allow adverse conditions to rise above and beyond man’s best efforts to exert influence and control over his surroundings.

I began to realize the similarities and differences between rivers and people’s temperaments, beliefs, and values.. There are people who are very quiet, gentle, kind, and considerate in their relationships with others. Others can come out of nowhere with a tirade of emotional frustration or anger directed at people they love, All parties are carried away into the rapids of emotional upset until its conclusion, where there is peaceful interaction and resolution of internal conflict. Most of us probably fall into the middle of these two extremes most of the time with an occasional fluctuation in our emotional state. Fortunately for us, we are much better off than rivers. We have the ability to make choices, change our course of action mid-stream, and in extreme situations, to break off relationships entirely if they become disruptive or unpleasant. God has given mankind the tools and ability to take charge of our lives in ways that rivers cannot; we are able to willingly take charge of our emotions and learn how to use our self-talk to calm us down if we are upset. Taking our emotions and bad attitudes to God can provide a far better atmosphere for all to live in.

I can understand people’s enjoyment of outdoor activities like fishing and camping; it must be pleasant and very soothing to the soul to fall asleep listening to the sounds nature all around you, the sound of river water as it rushes over the clacking of shifting stones on its way to who-knows-where. Having hectic lifestyles these days, the need to relax is so important. Work schedules and other obligations distract us, dividing our minds and keep us from achieving that state of calm. It seems to me that that we work so hard and forget that God took time out on the seventh day to rest and see that what He created was good. We are all over the spectrum when it comes to scheduling our time—for some of us we do way too much, trying to fill every moment with just one more load to laundry before I go to bed, and others don’t do enough—procrastination or laziness seems to fill our time. Both extremes can make a person very tired!

Characteristically, I am very much the quiet, calm, and meandering river. If I hit a patch of fast-flowing river water that would upset my peace, I’m out of sorts, even to the point of being outright irritable with others. Before I get to that point, I make myself scarce until things have quieted down so people don’t have to experience a bad attitude from me. I need to do what ever is necessary to provide a comfortable setting to promote daily devotions and not a haphazard facsimile of a time of worship. Enveloping ourselves in God’s Word can keep us calm and peaceful through both the good and the more difficult times of our lives; developing good habits and practicing the disciplines of our faith such as daily Bible reading and prayer can help keep us focused and able to bear the load of life’s pressures. This can be hard to incorporate and maintain in our lives that are already squeezed to the max between the cock-doodle dos, the gotta-dos, the how-do-you-dos, and paying your dues.

In all honesty this has been a difficulty for me to maintain in my own life. I allow myself to skate through the process of reading and prayer many times without giving my full attention or quality time. I get so ashamed at myself for the lack of interest or willingness to make it a primary activity each and every day without being slothful. In retrospect, I enjoy the time spent with God reading and in prayer; when I am peaceful and relaxed, I can focus and the good habits I have begin to kick in. I begin feeling that abiding peace flowing like a river and setting this captive free. I just realized I used the words that closely fit a song I learned as a child, but they really fit the feeling I experience during and after I have spent this time with the Father; I need to remember that feeling and pray for the deep desire to linger in His presence for that is time well-spent.

Similarities of most rivers are that they reflect light, and also they are transparent when separated from the whole; this is also true of us—we are set apart as Christians to shine and direct others to Christ, and yet we are part of God’s Creation. I am reminded in this, that as Christians we are to be transparent in our relationships with others as we mirror through our lives, the hope we have when we accept salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the Cross. We are called to share this to all who will hear what the Spirit is saying through all Creation and by the testimony from our own lips. In Revelation 12:11 God’s word says:
“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony and they did not love their life even to death.” We are called to be both salt and light to the world. Matthew 5:16 tells us to:
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

As members of the human race we are all called to be branches in the rivers of life on the earth and like it or not, we are all called to be a part of one of this one river, living our lives as honorably and admirably as we can; as a well-known saying goes—we need to learn how to “sink or swim!”

Peace is flowing like a river,
Flowing out to you and me.
Flowing out to meet the ocean,
Setting all the captives free.

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