by Anna Haiar

Water Changes Everything

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Titus 3:5 English Standard Version

An old parenting adage for when kids are acting up is to “put some water on it.” In other words, when children are cranky, overtired, overwhelmed, or simply stuck in a bad mood, water often does what reasoning cannot. A shower, a sprinkler, playing in the rain, or even a warm bath has a way of resetting their entire disposition. Even though my youngest is nearly eight, I still use this tactic on all of my children when nothing else seems to work. It’s remarkable how something so simple can interrupt unpleasantness and bring calm.

Admittedly, I use this tactic on myself as well. When I’m anxious, discouraged, or mentally tangled, I retreat to a long, quiet shower where thoughts can settle and emotions can be sorted. As many can relate, countless world problems and arguments have been confidently resolved in the privacy of falling water. It’s amazing how easy it is to achieve world peace and perfect clarity when shampooing your hair!

Water does more than clean us. It refreshes. It restores. It interrupts the spiral we’re stuck in and gives us a moment to breathe. And that small, everyday experience hints at something far deeper—something God has been doing with water all along. Scripture speaks about what God is doing through Baptism in Titus 3:

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

In baptism, God takes ordinary water and joins it to His extraordinary promise. This is not symbolic water meant to stir emotion or mark a personal spiritual decision. Baptism is God’s action. It is His work, not ours. Just as children cannot reason themselves out of exhaustion or distress, we cannot wash away our own sin or reset our own hearts.

So when life feels loud, heavy, or unmanageable—when sin weighs on the conscience or anxiety clouds the mind—we are not left searching for a reset we must create ourselves. We are invited to return to what God has already done. In baptism, He has placed His name on us, washed us with His mercy, and promised that we belong to Him. That water does not fade with time, and His promise does not depend on our mood or strength. We may forget, doubt, or wander, but God does not. Each day, we live not striving to earn His favor, but resting in the truth that we have already been washed, claimed, and made new.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.