By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
Isaiah 58:11 NLT
I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]
John 10:10 AMP
There is a way to appear religious, and yet have no real thirst for God. Our “religion” may make us seem devout so that we religiously attend services, we are faithful in our tithing and offerings, we may even give generously to mission programs, and don’t forget that ‘Jesus’ sticker proudly displayed on the bumper. For many simply going through the prescribed rituals is enough.
This should remind us of the Jewish leaders in the New Testament. Jesus called them out for such attitudes on several occasions. In Matthew 23:23 we find this indictment “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”
You see God is not impressed by mere religion it is really all about our hearts. Hearts that are thirsty for Christ are hearts that He will fill. He fills us with Himself. Filled by Him so we become like a well-watered garden whose fruit overflows, impacting the lives of those around us. Filled by Him and with Him so that we reflect the love and grace of the Saviour: We weep at the needs and the injustice all around us, moved by the plight of those who are neglected, overlooked and abused. Filled by Him we have no room for bitterness and resentment, rather, we are quick to forgive, even when the cost to ourselves seems great and even when those we are tasked to forgive are our very enemies. But we are not just filled by and with Him we are filled to the overflow.
A bucket that overflows must have been placed near a source of water, as the bucket remains in position it is filled and soon it will begin to overflow. We cannot fill ourselves up by working harder, serving more, or being good enough. Overflow is the opposite of striving — it flows freely from within an outpouring of the Spirit at work. Jesus says “ I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” (John 10:10 amp) and in John 7:38 He promises the believer that ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” Life in the Son is not a dry, sparse merely religious event. Rather it is meant to be abundant, lived to the maximum and enjoyed, and the thing about Christ’s abundance- it’s not a one-man event rather it overflows so that those we are in community with are blessed. The key to an overflowing life is an unshakable identity in Christ sustained by intimacy with Him, living daily in His presence.
His presence overflowing in us reflects in compassionate hearts, not just seeing the needs of others but being active in meeting those needs. It’s not why doesn’t the Government or the church do something? Rather it’s - what can I do? In Matthew 25 we are given a picture of what kingdom living is truly all about. We are tasked with feeding the hungry and taking in strangers, clothing the naked and visiting those who are sick or in prison, and not just giving generously out of plenty but giving sacrificially even when we ourselves have needs. This is living in the overflow.
Ask: How easy is it to become merely religious?
Seek: Are you living life in the overflow? How are you impacting the lives of those around you?
Knock: As you spend time in His presence ask God to fill you to overflow daily and to position you for your unique kingdom assignment in this season.
(Upper Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash)
