Get ‘Em in the River—But How Do They Stay There?

We say we want people to follow Jesus. But are our lives actually making them want Him?

“You can guide a horse to a well, but you can’t force it to drink. However, you can add salt to its oats.”

That line sits in my grandpa’s journal, and I keep coming back to one question:

How salty is my life?

Sometimes you don’t realize the weight of something until after the fact. I wrote the article “Get ‘Em in the River” before leading our current seniors on a mission trip back to Puerto Rico. But it was on that trip that I actually saw what happens when people step into the river.

Before going into a tourist area to pray with people, we gathered in the van. We took time to be still and ask God for a name, an image—anything that might help us know whom He wanted us to approach. What came to my mind was Hebrews 11:6 (NLT):

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Not exactly inspiring…more like convicting. I knew it was a gentle rebuke. God was about to expose my lack of faith in His power at work in these students.

What Happens in the River

As we shared what came to mind, one student said she saw a vivid image of a lion.

Then we went.

And I watched these students walk up to strangers, start conversations, and pray with boldness. No hesitation. No overthinking. I remember thinking, This is it. This is what it means to get ‘em in the river.

Like a proud dad, I watched them step into what they were made for. But I still didn’t know what was coming.

When we regrouped, the stories started pouring in. Then the student who saw the image of a lion shared that when she approached someone, the man immediately started talking about…lions. He wasn’t prompted or led to talk about lions. He just offered it up.

That moment lit a fire in the group. Boldness turned into expectancy. And it didn’t stop there.

All week, we watched God move. On their free day, students walked the beach praying for people. When we got home, they continued in our own community. One encounter led to a man coming to church on Easter—he stayed for all three services and gave his life to Christ.

That’s what happens when people get in the river.

“When we got home, they continued in our own community.”

How Do We Stay There?

But most of us have seen and experienced our zeal for God fizzle out. The question needs to expand: How do you get in the river—and how do you stay there?

At a workshop at the 2026 RENEW.org Gathering, Matt Reagan said, “This generation is looking for the consecrated ones. Are you a burning one?” He’s right. We are surrounded by what’s fake and shallow. When they see something real and in this case someone fully surrendered to King Jesus—they don’t resist it…they run toward it.

That’s why I’m more convinced than ever that the greatest thing we can offer people is not what we do for them, but who we are becoming in Christ. Will becoming more like Jesus lead us to act? Absolutely. But now it flows from who we are, not just what we do.

Staying Honest Through Confession

So how do we become more consecrated?

Before we talk about habits, we have to start here: We don’t change what we won’t first confess. If we’re not honest about where our lives don’t look like Jesus, we’ll end up using spiritual habits to manage appearances instead of experiencing transformation.

Staying in the river means staying honest. It starts with confession.

I didn’t fully understand confession until I read this from Robert Mulholland in Invitation to a Journey:

“The process of being formed in the image of Christ takes place primarily at the points of our unlikeness to Christ’s image. God is present to us in the most destructive aspects of our cultural captivity. God is involved with us in those places of our lives that are most alienated from God. God is there, in grace, offering us the forgiveness, the cleansing, the liberation, the healing we need to begin the journey toward wholeness and fulfillment in Christ.”

God meets us right in the places we most want to avoid.

Confession is simply this: agreeing with God about what in your life doesn’t look like Jesus—and inviting Him into it. If God feels distant, it may be because He’s waiting for your honesty. Once we’re honest, we can finally see clearly—where we need to change and how God wants to form us.

“If God feels distant, it may be because He’s waiting for your honesty.”

Practicing the Habits of Jesus

Then we practice the habits of Jesus. Not randomly or based on preference. But in response to what God is revealing. The habits aren’t something we choose based on what we like—they are means of grace the Spirit uses to shape us into the image of Christ. 

Robert Mulholland defines spiritual formation as “the process of being formed into the image of Christ for the sake of others.” That last phrase matters. These habits aren’t about performance but about transformation for the sake of others.

And they’re meant to be practiced in community. We invite others in not just for accountability, but for humility. Left alone, we drift toward pride or imbalance. Because let’s be honest—what good is fasting three days a week if you’re still harsh with your family?

I like to frame the habits of Jesus in two categories:

Think of a bow and arrow. The arrow fulfills its purpose only when it’s first drawn back…and then released. If all we do is pour in, we become stagnant. If all we do is pour out, we become depleted. One leads to spiritual constipation; the other leads to starvation. Either without the other misses the point and is a miserable way to live.

“The arrow fulfills its purpose only when it’s first drawn back…and then released.”

Letting Confession Guide the Habit

For the sake of your soul—and the people who depend on you—ask yourself:

• Are you lacking compassion? Start with confession—and let God lead you toward practices that soften your heart.
• Do you read Scripture only for information? Confess it—and begin reading for transformation.
• Are you driven by others’ opinions? Confess it—and step into solitude so that His voice is louder than theirs.
• Are you struggling with overindulgence or addiction? Confess it—and fast as the Spirit leads.
• Do you lack joy? Confess it—and learn to feast and celebrate.
• Ask your family: Are you constantly working? Confess it—and practice Sabbath with the people you say you’re doing it for.

We don’t pick habits at random. Our confession reveals where we are not like Christ, and the Spirit leads us into the habit that helps form us in that area. Jesus offers the invitation in John 7:37–38: If we are thirsty, come to Him! If we believe in Him, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.

This is the mark of the consecrated ones. Does the Spirit flow as a river through you to those around you? How thirsty for Jesus are you? Are you thirsty enough to be honest? To confess the area you don’t want to let go of—but God is calling for?

Key to staying in the river is ongoing confession and repentance. The habits are God’s grace to help us walk that out. People are ready. People are dying of thirst. They’re ready to step into the river. But they need people who will help them get there—and show them how to stay there.

“Does the Spirit flow as a river through you to those around you?”

Because the danger isn’t just never getting in.…It’s stepping in briefly, stepping out, and slowly drying off—wondering why everything feels different again. Following Jesus was never meant to be part-time. We don’t visit the river. We live in it.

What area of your life do you need to surrender so God can form you more into the image of Jesus? Because here’s the truth: We have to get them in the river—but they’ll only follow if they see Him in us.

In the end, the question isn’t just whether people hear us talk about Jesus…It’s whether our lives make them thirsty for Him.