Life as a flow....

Fruitfulness is result of rootedness – the river was able to facilitate fruits because “river originates from the sanctuary”. It is our rootedness in the source that facilitates fruits in our lives and our ability to facilitate fruits in others’ lives. Not our skills, talents, hard work or striving. A river does not strive to facilitate fruits, it naturally does it because the it keeps itself connected to the source.

Daniel and his friends, protected their rootedness in their God. Daniel from the initial days itself, even at the cost of life saw that that relationship with his God was kept alive and active though the context was challenging.

How many times have we limited our fruitfulness by blocking our lives from the source or focussing on our abilities, talents and work more than rootedness?

Limitedness of our influence comes out of we taking control of our life planning - A river flows where ever it finds space and as it flows it widens, deepens and facilitate life all around. It does not take control of its life plans it allows the soft pressure from the source to gently direct it into paths if finds for itself. Limitlessness is linked to losing control or giving up control. Our limitedness of influence is because we take control of our life plans. A life which is left to God to plan and facilitate the flow gently will have much more influence than we can imagine – because God knows the best. Allowing God to gently direct our lives by giving up our plans and control…

Daniel, unlike Nehemiah, who managed to go back to Jerusalem, continued in Babylon for more than 70 plus years, serving under three emperors, active in the initial years, forgotten and in semi-retirement latter part of life, but was time and time again sought after when there was a crises or need. He allowed himself to be kept in a foreign land with difficult situations, but in the midst of this seemingly challenging situations – by remaining there….

How many times have I limited my ability to be an influence by taking control of my own life plans and directions?

A flowing life, will deepen, widen and become fresh when  the flow is from God -  A river does nothing to become deep, fresh or wide. As it flows it becomes wider, deeper and fresher. And these characteristics facilitates life wherever it flows and even in the sea where it ends. The obstacles it faces, the routes and reroutes it takes, are opportunities to become fresh, wide and deep. Do we allow the obstacles, situations, contexts, challenges, people etc. that come across our paths, to widen deepen and freshen us, or do we allow these to make us bitter angry, upset and resentful? God allows these situations to deepen, widen and freshen us….

Daniel – had 2 aspects of his life. One the external engagement which is given in chapters 1 to 7. But alongside, there was that deeper and wider life of praying, reflecting, seeing visions, engaging with God in prayer given in chapters 7 onwards. And this happened alongside his daily mundane takes in the Kings palace and that made him different. Even in the midst of a pagan kingdom, he was growing in His internal life.

How many times have I reduced my impact or potential for life change, by becoming angry and resentful or bitter due to life situations?

A flowing river is one of many rivers which end in the life giving greatly impactful sea – River’s life is not about itself, it is about ending up along with many others in the sea. Where it ends, it freshens that part of the sea. We are part of large Kingdom movement. It is not about me, I along with many other rivers, small trickles of water flowing from different places in to the large sea of the Kingdom of God. And this gives us significance. Small as it might be, you could be part of a greater purpose by flowing, at the same time living beyond your routines task and your context. That is what Daniel did.

He in the midst of the daily routines, was reflecting on what God was doing in the world, for His people, and how God will redeem them. Latter part of his life, He was interceding for his nation and God to intervene. And he was engaging in spiritual warfare, for greater things and larger issues at hand, though he was living in a pagan kingdom.

In the midst of our routines, wherever we may be placed, even in the most in accessible place, we can be part of God’s greater purposes, both at the local level and at the larger level, if we look out and understand what God is doing and engage in issues with God.

To be like Daniel or like the river, we need to live in 4 paradigms. One – Keep the connection with the source, Two – hand over control of your life to God and allow Him to gently lead and direct our life into paths He knows, Three – allow the situations He allows in our life to widen, deepen and freshen us, and Four – live recognising and engaging for a greater purpose, wherever we are kept…