You have probably seen this, a pool of shallow water that has no fresh source. This pool does nothing. It seems to be a petri dish of single-cell organisms and an unnamable slimy substance. It is not fit for use or consumption without serious rehabilitation. This is what we call stagnant water.
Growing stagnant spiritually is a relatively easy process. There are no steps, no programs and no support groups. You simply do nothing. I am not assuming that you, the reader, are stagnant. It is so easy to become so and being aware of the possibility may prove to be a preventative measure.
God clearly has the expectation that we should grow. In Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” We need to grow in our knowledge. In Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” We need to grow in maturity. We do all of this by our close contact with the Word of God. In Ephesians 4:15, “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,” and in 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” The Bible is clear that with the Word of God we are equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
We know what God expects, but how do we do it? If we make regular Bible study a priority, things could change. If we would be at services every time the doors were open, thinks would change. If we were to actively seek out relationships with members of the church instead of people in the world, the water might become a little less stagnant. If we were to see people as souls needing Christ, our stagnant pool might be all the more clear. If we would strive to be pools of living water, our pool may be useful again.
When Christ was with the woman by the well, he told her, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14). We should be a source of living water to those around us. We are not a stagnant dead pool. We are sons and daughters of the Most High. He has given us the source to be an influence on our family, our friends, our co-workers and even each other. When we become stagnant, we do more than just damage ourselves. We become a foul, contaminated source instead of what God intended us to be—light, salt and living water.