This is a three-part series, enjoy part one.
John 10:10 (NIV)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full”.
John 10:10 (TPT)
“A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow”!
We know this verse and can recite it right? But what’s the use of a life that’s overflowing, unless it is overflowing into another vessel?
Overflow or abundance means: a flowing over, inundation, surplus, an outlet
An overflow is when the water exceeds its boundaries; the space is filled to capacity and water then spreads beyond its limits to other places.
Who can relate to this? It’s dishes time, we turn on the water to fill the sink with water, then go away to do something else, finally we remember the sink, and come back to it. You guessed it, the water has exceeded the sink and spilt over onto the floor. That is overflow or an abundance of water.
Where is that water going? It can only be cleaned up, mopped up and put back into the sink to be washed away. It’s wasted water. What could have been done differently to not have the waste? I’ll leave that with you.
Let’s go to the Word of God to see what is said about Pouring into and Overflow. In
2 Kings 4, we meet a widow who is in great need, of provision and a miracle. Elijah, a man of God asks her ‘what do you have’? She says I have a ‘little oil’. She gathers jars from neighbours and all Jars are filled with Oil. But when the jars were filled the provision stopped.
Did you notice that what she called little, once given to the Lord and poured out filled the need and gap? Remember even what you call little when given back to God can fill a mighty need or purpose of Him in others.
Key is the Lord never intends for overflow in any form to be wasted. Read that again, God doesn’t plan for overflow or abundance from your life or lessons, to be wasted, but to be put to Kingdom use in His purpose and plan to help, teach others.
Ok back to the Word, remember the crowds of hungry people sitting on the hill, and Jesus fed them from a small boy, both willing and obedient to give up his ‘little lunch’ (John 6:12, Matthew 14:20). After everyone was fed there were baskets of leftovers collected up. Again, there is no waste in the kingdom!
Ask the Lord what would have happened if the boy didn’t think his ‘little’ mattered and wouldn’t be of impact?
Every ‘little’ moment, task, role, talent, gift, all gets used in their full measure or its considered waste, and waste by the way, is not God’s way?
So hence the question the Lord asked me one morning, which led to more:
“Who are you pouring your life into? “
What are you pouring into them?
How are you pouring into them?
I started thinking about the ones I mentor in ministry and business, was there a measure being wasted? I knew now was time to make space to seek the Lord and investigate for an answer.
I have noticed this pattern many times throughout the bible and stories of incredible men and women of God: that the next generation did not pick up and carry on what their last generation had paid a cost for.
I’ll repeat that so it sinks in for us all, the next generation have not picked up or carried on with what the last generation have done and paid a cost for.
Wow, why I wondered is there a gap or a miss? Could it be that these incredible men and women of God, never learned to redirect the overflow of what the Lord was pouring into their lives, into others around them?
Simply so it could continue and grow!
Part of growth is actually in being the pourer! No matter where you are in the Kingdom, you have something to offer someone else and God wants you to be pouring into the ones: You can pour in many different ways, here’s a few:• You can offer an encouraging word.• You can pray with someone.• When someone has a problem that you’ve also had before, you can share your testimony about how God helped you with the same thing.• You can pass your skills and talents to support someone who needs help with that thing, or to continue what you started so it sustains.
Remember Jesus was all about serving others. Even more Jesus was about pouring into others and raising people up into God’s best, so that they are transformed through encounter with Him.
Who are you pouring into?
Let’s close with this story I read, many years ago a big company, wanting to save costs decided the best course of action, was to cut staff numbers. They decided to offer voluntary redundancies, as they had many older staff members who had some of the best contract rates. The day came and all went to managements plan. Many of the older staff members put up their hands, were paid out and let go, on some of the highest pay rates.
All sounds good right?
But the management had overlooked something more important than the money they saved. What was it? It was the knowledge, and experience, the older staff members had received over the decades from working for the firm. With these key people gone they quickly found out that many departments and systems no longer worked, as the people they had let go off, were the only ones that could do these vital roles.
What did this company do? It went to ex-employees’doors and pleaded for them to comeback. Many said yes and did with the agreement to a very large increase in pay.
But what’s the point?
It’s this that unless we are willing to pass on what we know, and have been given, to others around us, then it will be gone or wasted, and others will not be able to do the job in-front of them.
For remember what God shares, teaches, entrusts you with, is never about just you or for you only, it is always to pass onto faithful Sons and Daughters, who will go on and teach others. That’s the ripple effect, that comes as you position yourself low, to be with the Lord, you hear from Him, and share with another the gems the Lord gave you, and then they share with another the gems from the Lord.
This is the passing on of the gems or passing on of the Word of the Lord to others, this is not keeping it for ourselves but realising what we have been given is always for the benefit of the Church – the Body of Christ and not being precious to keep that which is entrusted to us, but to always pass it on for the edifying and maturing of the one.
You have a choice will you pass on, and be open handed with what God’s given you to someone else? So, they can function in the Fullness that God desires and longs for His children and world. You are a pourer who is also a Kingdom builder.
Challenge time: Grab space to be with the Lord and your journal to write as He reveals the answers.
1. Lord, show me if I’m wasting any of the overflow you’ve given me?
2. Lord, who do I to redirect this overflow into?
3. Lord, how do I to do redirect this overflow? So that it will be used to bring about increase and sustainability in these people’s lives.
4. Thank Him for all you have received, and in gratitude that He will bring increase to what you have poured out.
Father thank you for your question, for the relevance, timing and challenge you have laid ahead of us. We pray we will be able to impart, release, teach and share the abundance of life you have given us to another, and see them replicate the same to others. In Jesus name, Amen
Craig and Winnie Patten
Itinerate Pastors/Apostolic Leaders
Encounter Ministries
