Overflow

Overflow

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

MY MOM HAD JUST STARTED running a bath upstairs when the phone trilled. The phone was located on the first floor in our 1920s house, so she dashed downstairs to catch it. Her sister was on the line, and as the two started chatting, my mom forgot about her bath.

Suddenly, a great whooshing, dripping sound could be heard on the main floor. Noticing the odd noise, my sisters and I raced into the kitchen to see water streaming through the ceiling, through the light fixture, onto the table and floor underneath. The lights were on in the chandelier, and we watched in horror as parts of the fixture began to fill. Someone ran up to shut off the water upstairs while my dad painstakingly flipped the light switch. It was a memorable mess, to say the least.

That mental picture comes to mind every time I think of God’s overflowing love. When something overflows, it’s not a gentle trickle—it’s a veritable deluge. That bathwater touched everything in its path, found its way through all barriers, sought every crevice. Nothing could stop it—until the source was shut off.

We, too, are called to overflow with the love and hope of Christ. Our connection to the source—the Holy Spirit—is what allows us to spill over into the lives of others. It’s only when we are cut off from our source that those qualities stop flowing.

The word overflow is used throughout Scripture to describe qualities of God (redemption, compassion) or of us, his followers (joy, grace, love, hope) that only happen when we abide in him. As Christians, our ability to overflow with good things is directly tied to the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us. Our firm footing with Christ gives us the confidence we need and facilitates the wonderful things that spill over into each area of our lives.

Lord, thank you that—through your power—we can overflow with love, joy, hope, and grace. Help us to demonstrate those qualities to everyone we meet, pointing back to the Source who fuels us. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: What qualities or characteristics has your life overflowed with lately? How does that tie to your connection to the Holy Spirit?