a life of receiving (by Jeff)

   The increasing revelation of the grace of God in my life has brought me to the place where I believe that the Christian life is a life of receiving. When I first put those words in writing, it seemed foolish of me. It seems like a childish, even selfish desire to take and take and not to give out. But what I have seen, on the contrary, is that this kind of life takes the utmost maturity and humility in realizing that I have nothing to give ever.

   I heard once that we should minister from an overflow. This comes from Billy Graham quoted by another pastor (Britt Merrick) at a conference several years ago. And this is what I'm talking about. Usually the analogy about being "filled up" by God involves then going and pouring out (ex. Paul was poured out as a dink offering, etc). But that's not what I'm talking about. That analogy involves our shifting around, looking for some place to pour, then becoming empty in need of a refill either yearly with a conference, monthly with a getaway, weekly with a rest day, daily with a quiet time, hourly through meditation on the Word or moment by moment with return to prayer. These are all valid, good and I believe necessary. But I have come to the place where I really can't find the desire or even ability in myself  to be moving around, pouring out, becoming empty. The thought itself hurts me right now. I need to stay, stay in one place, stay put, abide, remain. And there is really no other place for me to do that but in Christ. I have done enough striving and failing, being emptied and used up to know now that there will never be enough "life" to go around if I leave the Source at all. Amazingly though, out of that desperate need, I am finding out that this is exactly the place I was always meant to be, resting here at the Fountain of Living waters, under the Facet of amazing grace, being filled completely and constantly, never moving from the Stream, ONLY RECEIVING. Because what happens? I'm small, that I know very well by now. So I can only hold so much before the life begins to spill over my brim onto my family, my wife and kids, and those closest to me. But it doesn't stop there because I'm still at the Spout. It spreads and spreads saturating the ground and beginning to effect everyone that I come in contact with and beyond. This in increasing measures is what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of torrents of living water as a figure of what the Spirit would do in those who believed in Him. Ministry must be done from an overflow to be true and lasting. Sadly much of what I do has not been from an overflow, but maybe at best just a hurling of a water balloon, or an elementary school drinking fountain fight.

  
God help us to stay in You and live a life of receiving the abundance that you give and simply overflowing.