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We’ve heard it said, particularly in this age of the outpouring of God’s Spirit, that Christians should now be at a stage of spiritual maturity where we operate out of the overflow. We’ll talk about operating out of the overflow a bit more, but even if we do not understand all the facets of it, deep in our cores, we know it to be true, because it testifies with the Holy Spirit within us. However, as we look around within our spiritual communities in Christ, we see little evidence of people actually living this way. They are not operating out of the overflow, but seem to have barely enough for themselves, and are sparingly eking out drops of which to feed others. This is true of us as well; perhaps even more so. Things must change.
It is astounding to consider the wealth that Heavenly Father has opened up for such a time as this. When I talk about wealth, I mean a vast overflow of richness in every aspect of existence, most particularly spiritual; for the Spirit is the place from which all wealth flows. We can’t just skim the surface of this truth and expect to be okay in life. It’s time for us to begin seeking it out.
The nature of God is life, light, liberty, and love. All that He creates has this nature. In liberty, there is also freedom of choice. Therefore, we also know that with light, there is also darkness; for how can we know the illuminating power of light unless darkness is exposed by it. Darkness will try its best to keep life, light, liberty, and love from us; for the nature of darkness is death, ignorance, bondage, and fear. A person may choose to live a life of darkness, and the chief reason why he or she will do this is because they do not know or understand who they are. He or she does not know their identity.
Just as a person may choose to be of and live in darkness, God’s desire is that he or she would choose to be of and live in light; because light is our true identity. Jesus Christ said in John 8:12 (KJV), “I am the light of the world.” If he is light, then we must be light, because Colossians 3:3 tells us that our lives are hidden in him. Ephesians 5:8(NKJV) says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
The testimony of God’s love and power is that, if we will allow it, His light can eradicate darkness to such a degree that there will be no evidence it ever existed. This is the place where all of God’s children are heading. As born-again believers, we know that we’ve been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. We were born into sin; therefore, we were born in darkness, but our destiny is to see the light, become the light, and reflect the light in this earthly realm.
We are created to flow from the inside out. God has packed us to overflowing with His overwhelming good stuff, and it is supposed to flow through everything that we do, everything we touch, and everything we create. As we affect and infect everything that we impact and influence with His pure, radiant light, time is then stamped with His imprint; and the legacy of it resonates throughout continued space and time. That which is light, returns to light; for eternity is a cycle. It’s a beautiful thing! This is the legacy of Christ; the ministry of reconciliation that he graced us with. This is also how we introduce the Kingdom of God into the dark places of the earth.
We are created in such a way that all of this richness from God should flow from our spirits; from the inside of us to the outside of us. Ignorance of who we are stops the flow. Living from the outside in, stops the flow. Living from the outside in means that we are living in the flesh, and not the Spirit. Before we become born again, most of us have spent years acclimating to our outside environments. We have lived according to the dictates of our external realities. If it’s cold, we get a blanket. If it’s hot, we get a fan. If we don’t get our way, we get sad or disappointed. We learn to respond based on the flesh. An entirely different way of responding is required when we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives.
The Apostle Paul speaks of a war going on in our members. This war exists because the nature of Spirit is light. What does light do? Light illuminates! It seeks to expose and shine. The flesh seeks to cover up; we saw this in Adam and Eve once they sinned. The flesh wars with the Spirit, and the mind and heart of the person decides who will win. This is why it is so important for us to remember who we are in Christ. Galatians 5:24-25(NLT) tells us, “24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
God has created us to flow from fruitfulness. This means that we don’t allow anything to dictate how we move except Him and His Word. This is not always easy, but it is a must! The Kingdom of God is to be manifested through us. One of the ways in which we yield ourselves to God is to cease with trying to cover up. We cannot expect that the testimony of our purpose will be revealed amidst the backdrop of us withholding things from Heavenly Father. He commanded us in Romans 12:1 to present ourselves a living sacrifice before Him, holy and acceptable; because this is the reasonable thing to do, in light of all that He has done for us. Laying bare before Heavenly Father and presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is not payment for His goodness; it’s a demonstration of our appreciation for it.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God is a Rewarder, and He rewards diligent effort. We can do a thousand good deeds a day, and that’s great. Diligence, however, requires us to seek to do those things that are in alignment with the purpose for which we are called.
David said in Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT): “13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.” We have a chapter in God’s Book of Life with our names on it. Ephesians 1:3 affirms that we are predestined, and that God knew us even before the foundation of the world. He knows what we ought to be doing and how we ought to be doing it. It’s all written down in His book.
So, you can do a lot of good things, but you won’t see the rewards of the fulfilment of your destiny until you begin to walk in it. These will be deeds that God rewards in the greatest ways. I’m a living testimony of this truth. We have to stop covering up with all the counterfeits—with things that make us look like something that is contradictory to our identities. We must stop ignoring the call that is upon us and wake up to it. This is accomplished through prayer and communion with God through the Holy Spirit. Only he can guide us into all truth.
You must get to a point in your spiritual walk with God in Christ that you recognize the only person that can do what you have been destined to do is you. Destiny is programmed in you, and overcoming darkness and any plot of the enemy demands that you walk in the purpose for which you are called. It is the way to operate in that which flows from God!■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“That Which Flows from God” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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