Are you Dehydrated?

The differences between being properly hydrated and dehydrated are so fascinating to me.  

Have you ever been properly hydrated to the point where you crave water? 

That is the BEST place to be! 

While dehydration can sneak up on you like a thief.  

When properly hydrated, water is usually craved; gradually drinking less water causes dehydration, where the craving for water slowly decreases. When dehydrated, the craving for water will eventually disappear, and once that craving is gone, that leaves the door open for deceit.  That's when the craving for ANY liquid to "appease" your thirst sets in, including tea, coffee, or some other liquid.  Which seems, as though, it is satisfying your thirst, because it is a liquid, but instead of being hydrating, it actually does the opposite, and it dehydrates. 

Quite often, throughout the years, I have thought about an event that happened to me when I was around 3, and I never realized why until recently.  Which I will mention here, in a bit. 

I remember two very vivid memories of the event.  

~One time after I woke up, I came out of my room and as I was walking to the living room, I collapsed in the hallway.  

~Next, I was trying to walk from the couch to the fireplace, which was roughly 12 feet.... maybe not even.

 I got partway there and I collapsed, again.  

I was terrified and had absolutely no idea what was going on.  Eventually, we figured out that I was

 SEVERELY DEHYDRATED.

Still to this day, I'm extremely sensitive to whether or not I am properly hydrated. 

I have times where suddenly it is hard for me to think, I become dizzy and lightheaded and need to sit down because it feels like I am about to pass out.  It feels like my body is shutting down. As things come to my mind that I need to get up and do, I want to, but my physical body just won't. Thankfully, I have started to realize the subtle signs that I have not been drinking enough water, and I get a giant water bottle and start chugging it.  

It is amazing how drinking water snaps me out of that awful, dehydrated feeling pretty quick.  But I do have to be very intentional about CONTINUING to drink water because even though the water helped me snap out of that initial dehydration shock, that doesn't mean I'm hydrated yet.  It is important to get to the point where I am hydrated enough to crave the water my body so desperately needs. 

While pondering these experiences, it has become very clear to me that yes, my physical body is very sensitive to dehydration, but my spiritual needs can ALSO get dehydrated, and they're very comparable to each other. 

Only the Living Water can be spiritually hydrating. 

When I am spiritually hydrated, I crave reading the bible and spending quiet time with God every day. 

If I gradually spend less time with God and the Word, I become spiritually dehydrated.  This is when my craving for that quiet time with God slowly decreases.  This becomes dangerous because it leaves room for deceit to take hold, and I may start searching for spiritual satisfaction in other forms, such as podcasts, music, and books.  I believe these can be so good and full of wisdom and can be extremely helpful when I'm at a loss for where to start. It is very important that I do not use them as a replacement for the Living Water, instead using these tools as a helping hand, leading me into personal worship with God.  If I try to "appease" my spiritual thirst with ONLY other forms of "liquid" and not personally going to God and the Word, it may seem as though it is satisfying my thirst, but instead of becoming hydrated, I will stay dehydrated. Being spiritually dehydrated is very concerning because it can leave us terrified and not knowing what is going on, and then we don't have the hope we so desperately need. 

One way I think we can evaluate if we are reading the bible enough and staying "hydrated" is to honestly
ask yourself...Do you crave to read God's Word? 

If you are craving the Word, you are probably hydrated.

If you are hydrated with the Word of God, be intentional to STAY hydrated, so that the deceit of satisfying your thirst somewhere else doesn't sneak in and become a thief, dehydrating you spiritually.

If you are not craving the Word of God, you are probably spiritually dehydrated and need to be in the Word of God more.   

Being spiritually hydrated is something to be very intentional about.