Rivers and Dams

As young professionals navigating a world that often feels like a constant hustle for more—more success, more stuff, more status, more money—consider this: Are you a river or a dam?

With rivers, water flows in, through, and out, providing life.

With dams, water stops, piles up, with no way out, only in, leading to lifelessness.

In the consumeristic culture we find ourselves in, we are taught to feed ourselves, to fill up, to hold tightly, to not share, to get ours, to receive… like a dam.

For example —

Make more money… to gain more possessions and comfort.

Grow title… to hold more power and increase status.

Discover giftings… to develop own career, power, and salary.

Enter a relationship… to be loved, to have needs met.

Reap then keep.

Me-centric.

Now, reflect.

Has this “dam mentality” of consumption really created the joy we thought it would? Or does it slowly fade, leaving us lifeless, stuck in the cycle of more?

What if there is a better way?

—

Throughout the New Testament, the audience reads of the Jordan River, Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee.

The below is an overview of each water source pulled from verified sources:

The Jordan River is a lush river that flows from Jordan through Israel, providing wildlife and humans a vital water source.

a.) The Dead Sea is a hyper-saline basin at the lowest point on Earth where the Jordan River ends. It is known for its lifelessness. Receiving water from the Jordan River, never giving.

b.) The Sea of Galilee is a life-sustaining, fertile body of water that acts as a connector from the northern Jordan River to the southern Jordan River. Receiving water from the Jordan River then giving it away.

Notice an inconsistency…

The Jordan River flows to the Dead Sea, leading to lifelessness.

The Jordan River flows thru the Sea of Galilee, leading to life.

See the river versus dam imagery here?

As a dam only receives water, so does the Dead Sea, reaping lifelessness.

As a river receives and gives water, so does the Sea of Galilee, reaping life.

It’s almost like the Creator of the universe is trying to tell us where life to the fullest is found.

Not in receiving…

but

in giving.

Like a river, like the Sea of Galilee!

How could this be portrayed in our day-to-day life?

Make more money… to give it away and bless others.

Grow in position… to leverage position of influence to serve others.

Take a class… to pass learnings onto the next.

Discover giftings… to use them in service to God and those around you.

Enter a relationship… to love, serve, see, and know.

Reap then give.

Others-centric.

Now, with that, spend 3-5 minutes reflecting on the below:

• Examine: Are you a river or a dam in your daily life? Which mindset shapes how you live?

• Apply: How does this show up in your family, community, workplace, church, hobbies? What about with your money, relationships, time, giftings, and career?

• Practice: What’s one tangible way you can live like a "Sea of Galilee" or “river” young professional this week?

And as we close, remember this:

Becoming a Sea of Galilee person doesn’t happen overnight. I am very much in process with this, grappling with the desire to receive and the call to give. But step by step, choice by choice, through the power of the Spirit, a shift from consuming to giving can be found, ultimately leading to life and life to the fullest.

Isn’t that what we all want… life to the fullest?

Fortunately, Jesus came to give it to us (John 10:10). Follow his (better) way...

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” — Acts 20:35 NIV

If this resonates with you, and you’re looking for practical ways to grow as a young professional, consider subscribing to The Yo Pro. Together, we can navigate the path toward flourishing as God intended.