A Polluted Stream

An idyllic, isolated stream, high in the hills, far from the congestion and clutter of modern civilization, flowing without pollution, clear and cool—a picture of perfect purity.

This also is a picture of people who are clean before God—who separate themselves from the pollution of the world, who are grieved by sin and quick to seek God’s forgiveness, who develop an intimate relationship with Him and live according to His Word, who are filled with His Spirit and have made Jesus the Lord of their lives.

But, in this world, we know how hard it is for even the most isolated streams to stay pure and remain free from pollution and contamination. The Bible warns us that, just like those mountain streams, our lives can become polluted. This can happen to anyone, even to Believers who have followed Jesus throughout their lives.

We become like a muddied fountain or a polluted spring when we compromise our standards, when we allow our thoughts to be shaped by the world around us, when we place a higher priority on pleasing people than on pleasing God, or when we allow our values to be guided by popular culture and current trends.

When these things happen, we may seem the same on the surface, but, inside, we know everything has changed. Our lives become more complicated. Our thoughts become congested. Our testimony is tainted. Our communion with God can be interrupted. Our prayer lives lose their impact. We stop depending on God’s Word.

Today, recommit your life to living according to Biblical principles and to being pure and holy in God’s sight. Follow Jesus. Resist the influences of the world. Seek to stay vigilant and clean before God. Strive to be free from compromise or anything that pollutes your mind and heart. Seek to be pure!