Water Hoses

Have you ever thought about the water hose on the outside of your house? I mean, have you ever thought about how your water hose says something about whom you are and how you act? The thought occurred to me this morning. I finished my morning devotion and got ready for work. When I walked outside I asked the Lord to show me something; to reveal something deep. And He said – “water hoses.” I know God has a sense of humor (He made me after all) but this took the cake - with the candles still lit.

I wasted no time in walking to the side of my house and took a peek. Yep, just as I left it. But then I found myself looking at the neighbors’ water hoses. And boy was it clear. Not everyone treats their water hose the same way. Some of them are like mine – they are carefully wrapped, each layer is like the layer behind it; not too tight and not too loose, evenly spaced and with the sprayer never touching the ground. Then there are others; knotted in a big mess, small loops and big loops, lying on the ground, sprayer on the sidewalk with tire tracks on it. Some are not even screwed into the hose bib and the hose is thrown behind the bushes. Wow, no respect for the hose!

Well guess what? I’ve been inside of some of those houses and the houses are mirror images of the water hoses! Now, our house is typically in order, well placed, clean and orderly. There’s a bedtime routine around here that involves, “picking up.” We can’t even go to bed without a clean slate. And our water hose proves it. But God’s point here was obviously not about the physical, but rather, the spiritual. When people see us from the outside, they get a decent picture of how we are on the inside. Sure, we can mask certain things, but people know. In manufacturing, we look at trends. Spikes are relatively meaningless in the big picture. To really know what is going on you need to look at trends.

If you find that you are presenting yourself to the world with the things described in Colossians 3:5-10 then your hose is a mess. And your neighbors will see it; day after day. But if you are showing others around you a trend of Galatians 5:22-23 then you can bet that your hose is secure, off of the ground and in order. Remember, your water hose is kept outside for the world to see. It says a lot about you. And so does the trend of your behavior. Get out of the way and let the Spirit work godly trends in you. Be an example of Christ to the world. It needs to see Him in a bad way!

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” --- Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)