ARE YOU A RESERVOIR OR A CHANNEL

While reading my daily bread devotional this morning I came across this question? I started my bible reading from Luke 6:30-49, 7:36-50. These two chapters especially these verses “27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” got me thinking about my life, physically, materially and spiritually. Am I a reservoir of God’s blessings or a channel to reach others, believers and unbelievers?

First of all let’s define a Reservoir: A natural or artificial pond or lake used for the storage and regulation of water. A receptacle or chamber for storing a fluid. An underground accumulation of petroleum or natural gas. Anatomy A large or extra supply; a reserve: a reservoir of good will. Medicine An organism or a population that directly or indirectly transmits a pathogen while being virtually immune to its effects.

Then let’s define a Channel: The bed of a stream or river. The deeper part of a river or harbor, especially a deep navigable passage. A broad strait, especially one that connects two seas. A trench, furrow, or groove. A tubular passage for liquids; a conduit. A course or pathway through which information is transmitted: new channels of thought; a reliable channel of information. A route of communication or access. Often used in the plural: took her request through official channels. In communications theory, a gesture, action, sound, written or spoken word, or visual image used in transmitting information. Electronics A specified frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for television signals. Computer Science A site on a network, as on IRC, where online conversations are held in real time by a number of computer users. The medium through which a spirit guide purportedly communicates with the physical world. A rolled metal bar with a bracket-shaped section. A temporary opening in a cell membrane that allows ions or molecules to pass into or out of the cell.

We will notice from the above definitions how a reservoir and channel works, a reservoir is a storage place while a channel is a passage or pathway, a connector, communicator an information carrier.

Let's examine ways we are either channeling God to others or reserving it for ourselves:
Mercy: Am I a reservoir or a channel of mercy since I have received mercy from the Lord. Am I showing these same mercy to those around me regardless of what they are doing, going to do or have done to me? Or am I withholding mercy from them saying it’s my way to revenge what they are doing or have done to me, remember Vengeance is mine says the Lord, it’s not for us to repay but to show mercy and love.

Love: Am I a channel of love or just accumulating and rolling in God’s love for me not caring about sharing this same love to others so they can come to the saving knowledge of Christ who loves them too. Am I hospitable, welcoming to strangers, fellow church members etc. Am I humble enough to relate to anyone I see in need or am I judgemental and refuse to lend a hand when needed? Do I behave like the world owes me or do I humble associate with men of lowly estate? How do I manifest the love of God to this generation when I have such high opinions of myself remember Jesus humbled himself by dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus even touched the leper in order to make him whole, how often have we reached out to someone the society themed a "leper" in order to show the world by example the love of God or do we distance ourselves from such a person? This is not by eye service but by genuine love for others which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Doing good: Am I sharing the goodness of God in the my life with others or am I just hoarding them in my bank account?, Am I a channel of blessings to other as Jesus did when He was here on earth, remember he never accumulated anything for himself and the bible instructs us on “setting our affections on things above and not on things on the earth”. Col. 3:2. Prov. 11:26. We should be a people given to charitable deeds, willing to share what we have just like the boy who shared his lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish which fed multitudes. John 6: 7- 13. Remember they had leftovers when everyone was fed, that is the same thing when you give from your heart to anyone in need, you will much left over because it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Forgiveness: This is the same as mercy, releasing forgiveness to those who have hurt us is actually helping us and not the person we are releasing, it’s a healing for us and it frees us to worship God in spirit and in truth. You find out that when you actually forgive with all your heart, there is a joy that comes from the Spirit of God that floods your soul and you feel lighter because un-forgiveness is a big burden, it’s like stagnant water that stinks.

Revelations from the Word of God [Bible]: When we receive a word from the Lord while studying His Word, how quick are we to share that word with others or do we keep it to ourselves? That word most times might not be for us but for someone whom the Lord wants to use us to reach at the particular time. Sharing his word others gives us the opportunity to reach out to them in love and share God’s thoughts with them as well, because His thoughts for everyone of us are thoughts of peace and not of evil to give us an expected end. Our testimonies bring others to the saving grace of Christ.

Prayers: In our prayer lives, are we reservoirs or channels? How often have we prayed for others apart from our families, there are widows in our local assembly and our communities, how often have we lifted them up in prayers? We have single parents in our midst, at our jobs, church and community, do we pray for them as we should? We have people trusting God for the fruit of the womb, a good husband/wife, how often do we say a prayer for them that the Lord will give them their own babies, husband/wife. We have teenagers in our churches, neighborhood, how often do we pray for them that they will make the right choices or are we just focused on our problems or our families thereby neglecting to pray for others. Remember Jesus sayings about loving God and our neighbors as ourselves.

I am also guilty of these things I outlined as well so it’s a wake up call for all of us to be channels of blessings and not just a reservoir, hoarding/storing up the goodness, favor, mercy, revelations, forgiveness, prayers for ourselves alone, it’s time to start sharing and reaching out to others in and outside the Christian fold, that is how the world we know we are children of God. God is looking for Channels and not Reservoirs only.

Have a blessed week.

Comments are welcome as usual.