Stay Spiritually Hydrated!

As a 50+ ‘young’ woman, I have learned the importance of hydration. I'm now one of 'those' people. You know them. The ones with a ChapStick on hand no matter where they are. One in the car, in their nightstand, the kitchen junk drawer, their purse... Water and lotions have also become staples in my life.

We are hydrated beings after all! Medically speaking, water makes up more than half of our bodies. Our brain alone can be up to 85% water. Factors such as age, sex, overall health, etc. play a role in how much water each person contains. So, I guess you can say staying hydrated is important!

Beyond physical hydration, we need to stay spiritually hydrated. I can always tell when I’m spiritually dehydrated. I can be irritable or easily angered. Complacency can sneak in, and I can feel depressed or hopeless — these can all be indicators of spiritual dehydration. Busy schedules, work demands, family strife, financial struggles, personal battles and more are dehydration techniques of the enemy.

But, there's good news! God says in Isaiah 58:11 (NKJV),

The Lord will guide you continually,

giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.   

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like an ever-flowing spring.

God supplies us with spiritual hydration. But we are responsible to apply it. Just like drinking water or applying lotion to hydrate our natural bodies, we need to hydrate our spirits. How do we do this? By reading the Word, praying, spending time daily with God, listening to worship music — these are all ways to stay spiritually hydrated.

You may say, “That’s good for you, Jenn, but I don’t have time. By the time I get myself and the kids ready for the day, I need to get to work.” Or, “By the time I get them to bed, I’m exhausted and fall into bed myself.”

I get it! You're busy. We're all busy. But you probably have time to read a quick verse or two in the morning or on your lunch. You can even have your phone read them to you. Then spend a few minutes throughout the day focusing on that verse? You’d be surprised how God can multiply the time you spend with Him. He understands the different seasons of life that we all go through. The busyness of this world.

Maybe you can change your playlist. Add some worship songs. Praising God brings His presence into our lives. It invites Him to dwell with us. In Psalm 22:3 it says: But you are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Here Enthroned means, "dwelling in praise." God is in the midst of our praise. Praise is a great way to stay hydrated.

So, when you grab your ChapStick to hydrate those dry lips, take a moment to hydrate your spirit too!

Lord, thank You for Your Word and Your presence in our lives. Help us to stay hydrated in You. Amen.