Empty Spirituality

Research shows that many people do not know how to read their body cues. We confuse hunger for thirst, so we eat though we're really thirsty. Since our thirst never gets satisfied, we continue eating, hoping to quiet our need.

When we finally do recognize our thirst, we go for sugar and caffeine loaded beverages that actually dehydrate us even more. We down our coffee and sodas, which seem to help for the moment, but an hour later our bodies start sending us more need-signals.

We live out these crazy lives filled with unending needs and desires, but we never recognize the answer to our cravings -- we need WATER!

Our need for water is spiritual, as well. We are born with an innate desire for our God. He designed us with a craving for His Spirit. However, instead of filling our cups with Him, we fill our plates piled high with food of the world. We eat of pleasures, worries, money, relationships, materialism; and we are never satisfied. We have become fat, indulged, ever-hungry people, and our Spirits are whithering away to nothing.

However, the Enemy knows that many people will catch on to the fact that they are spiritually thirsty, so he cleverly creates Empty Spirituality. There are many beautiful tasting forms of spirituality that have always existed in this world. People drink them down hoping to quench their spiritual needs, but they only become more spiritually dehydrated.

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4.10 NIV). (emphasis added)

I've come across a lot of "enlightened" spiritual leaders, books and schools of thought, but they are completely void of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. The Enemy sews many seeds of tantalizing insights that twist and change the Word of God. Then he strategically glosses over Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins -- humanity's only true hope. And the sad truth is that droves of people are getting a big dose of spiritually, but it's coming from the wrong side of eternity.

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jeremiah 2.13 NIV). (emphasis added)

We are unable to dwell with God in His realm, until we have our sins covered by the blood of Jesus. Jesus' sacrifice atones for our sins, and we take on His righteousness. God cannot connect with us otherwise because He is perfect, holy and pure. Jesus is the ONLY way to reach God. Why would God compete with "alternate" ways to His throne? Why would Jesus have to die on the cross if there was another way? Why would Jesus allow Himself to be disconnected from God for three days to take our sins on His back if a different plan of salvation could be achieved?

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’” (John 7.37-38 NLT). (emphasis added)

Jesus is God in the flesh who came down to this earth so that we could commune with a Holy God. People die for the cause of Jesus Christ because they know He is the world's answer for our spiritual need. Jesus is the Living Water. We must not accept spiritual substitutes, and we do God's children a horrible wrong when we skip over the cross. Spirituality will not get people to the presence of God -- only JESUS will.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’ ” (Revelation 7.17 NIV). (emphasis added)

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1.2 NLT). (emphasis added)

Question: Have you seen the core of Christianity influenced by Jesus-less doctrine? What can you do to protect yourself and others from consuming Empty Spirituality? Why is imperative for the foundation of spirituality to be built on Jesus?

Let's feed our children Living Water. Give them Jesus!