Living Life From The Overflow

Introduction: There was a Christian marriage counselor who was known for bringing restoration to those who were on the verge of divorce. His nick name was “The Love Doctor.” He always had the right scriptures to say and advice to give. What made him so good at his job wasn’t the degree’s he had achieved or the amount of books he read, but simply, his connection with God. Over the years he had cultivated a deep passionate relationship with God. He was always moving towards maturity on his spiritual journey. He knew God’s love and it showed in his ministry towards his family and in his profession.

After a series of events in his life including: having a new baby and not dealing with pressures from his job correctly. He began to lose his passion for God. He put his devotional life on the back burner and it began to show in his family life and ministry. It got to the point where his marriage was on the rocks. So much so that the tables have turned, and now he was in desperate need for marriage counseling or he would be heading for a divorce.

So one day after a huge argument with his wife, he left the house and went for a walk in town. In town, he came across, Mike, a man he helped bring restoration to his marriage a few years back. This man recognized his counselor and walked up to him and struck up a conversation. Before the counselor could say two words, the man confessed his marriage was on the rocks again and asked him for help.

Little did Mike know, but his counselor’s life was also in shambles. The counselor was drained. He did not have anything to give his old patient, because he was living on empty. Since his connection with God was not up to par, he had nothing to offer this man. He could not show love or guidance to any degree. He was not living from the overflow of his relationship with God. This put him in a position that none of us would ever want to be in. Especially, since most of us are pursuing ministerial positions where the depth of our relationship with God will directly reflect the ability we will have to help someone.

Living Life from the Overflow

As Christians, we will either live life from a loving relationship with God that spills over into all our relationships, or we will live on empty and have nothing to offer those around us. In order to live life out of the overflow of our relationship with God, we must love one another habitually, connect with God daily, and reflect on the depths of God’s love regularly. If you would, please turn with me to 1 John 4:7-10. These verses are said to be one of the most beautiful passages in the NT on love. Let’s read together.

1 John 4:7---“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

When John penned these words, he was actually writing to Christians who were spreading heretical teachings about Jesus through his congregation. His congregation was made up of both Ex-Jews and Ex-Pagans. The Ex-Jews found it easy to diminish the humanity of Jesus on the basis of such texts in the gospel of John where Jesus made the statement about the Father being greater then Him. Even though, Jesus in the same breathe states that He and the Father are one. So in this letter, John makes it extremely clear that “Jesus is preexistent, holy, and pure and is going to return to glory at the end.” The other side of the camp emphasized the divinity of Christ. So John pointed them to a passage in his gospel that proved Jesus’ humanity, by showing them that His life and death were the real deal.

Although, John was facing these issues head on, in his letter, he did not solely prove that Jesus was equally God and Man, even though that is of great importance. To combat heresy, John simply encouraged them to love. His church was so concerned with the details of their faith. They overlooked the foundational principle of their faith, to love one another.

That is not an isolated issue. 2000 years later, we are still overlooking that same principle. Yes, we do love, but like John’s church, we tend to be very selective. We tend to love those people who sit next to us in church and in our small groups and even in our classes, but forget about all the other people this command speaks to as well. All the people who do not do the same things you do or like the same things you like, but who are in need of the same love God showed you. And guess what, He chose us, to communicate that love to them.