In Christ Alone

You may have met people like the person I’m in touch with who calls herself a spiritual seeker. In fact, when you get into conversation with neighbours or acquaintances you find that many of them come under the same umbrella. The big problem is they are spiritual seekers in an alternative spirituality which makes deceptive promises it can never fulfil and veils their eyes to truth.

The practices and therapies offered by New Age spirituality are numerous and on the increase. They can seem to offer an answer to life’s problems and deceive even those who claim to be true believers. A church notice sheet advertised two courses run by the same person in different places. One was called ‘Mindfulness’ and was under the auspices of the Mental Health Services, and the other ‘Christian Mindfulness’ which was run independently. Mindfulness is a modern movement rooted in Buddhism and modern psychology. Adding ‘Christian’ to the title doesn’t change it one jot. It makes many promises - that we can live better, be happier, reduce our fear levels and feel healthier, by being in control of our mind. It claims to be the answer to anxiety, stress, depression, obesity and may other problems. In a word it is deception.

So why do some Christians get drawn into alternative spirituality and look for answers outside of Jesus? Jesus is the living water and He alone can quench our spiritual thirst, give vitality and restoration. Jesus does to our spirit what water does to the body. The offers outside of Him only make the seekers increasingly thirsty and more disappointed. A mixture of the two types of spirituality is both confusing and deceptive.

Our text for today talks of springs – places of refreshment where we drink and are satisfied. In an act of worship, the singers and the dancers rejoice as they say, ‘All my springs are in you’. Springs are a blessing in a dry place. The singers and dancers are saying, “All my sources of joy and happiness are found in You. You, Lord, are a mighty source and You can never run dry. In Your presence there is joy and peace, and You alone can satisfy.” Sadly, many of us have been conditioned to think that other things and people to whom we look for joy and pleasure will satisfy. We’ve believed a lie. In reality when we start to look to other things for what Jesus alone can give, our problems get bigger, because we’re not drawing from the true source.

We’re on a pilgrimage! On our journey we’ll meet dry, hard and unknown places, but we’re never alone. As pilgrims we must refuse to live with regrets, or to be hooked in the past. Day by day we’re assured of God’s presence, and an ever-fresh spring of living water, which quenches our thirst. As long as we draw from the eternal spring which is Christ, we’re truly satisfied, and all lesser things lose their attraction for us.

Everything springs from Jesus. He’s our source of life itself, and of every spiritual blessing. Our love springs from Him – He first loved us and poured His love into our hearts. Our joy springs from Jesus, and He longs that our joy may be full. Our hope for this life and for eternity springs from the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. He leads us to ‘Streams in the valley and springs in the desert’. He’s indeed all we could ever need.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, the fountain of living water. Please forgive me for the times I’ve looked in other places for the joy and satisfaction that has its true source only in Your Son. Please increase my desire and love for Him, and fill me afresh with the living water He promised, so that it will flow from me to a thirsty world. Amen.