I can't quite remember where I saw it, but somewhere, I read about living from the overflow that comes from Jesus, and that has kind of transformed the way I approach every area of my life.
So many of us, including myself, run around trying to do everything on our to-do lists, trying to meet expectations and simply survive the day, only to find ourselves drained and exhausted. We try to get more sleep, eat better, drink more water, even cut down on the number of activities - but we still are empty.
The truth is, nothing can fill us but Jesus. Nothing can satisfy us like His love. Nothing can strengthen us like His presence.
I honestly believe that the reason I find myself so drained sometimes is because I am trying to thrive without the Lord.
I might be able to survive on my own, but I can't thrive. I can't have the fullness of joy without Jesus. I can't have an abundant life without Jesus. I can't have the strength to love others as well as I am called to without Jesus. Without Jesus, the world isn't quite so bright or meaningful. Without Jesus, the miracles that are sitting right in front of me seem insignificant or even like burdens. Without Jesus, I feel empty and depleted.
That's not the way I want to live my life, and I doubt it's the way you want to live yours. Because when we stay in that place of feeling empty and depleted, we miss out on so many incredible blessings and opportunities that the Lord has designed just for you and I. There will always be something missing when we try to do life without Jesus, and I don't want to settle for anything less than the abundance God has for me.
So, I'm working on bringing it to Jesus. I'm working on seeking Him for the strength and wisdom I need instead of trying to figure it out on my own or do it in my own strength. I'm working on allowing Him to show me the world through His perspective. I'm working on having a conversation with the Lord about where He is leading me and how He wants me to love the people around me. I want my life to be a partnership with Jesus, not an occasional "hey God, here's what I want".
And when we choose to bring it to Jesus and be filled by Him, there is so much more joy. Our relationships and every day life is filled with so much depth. We begin to see that every little thing is a gift from the Lord. We can pour into our people in a new way because we have a strength that comes from the Lord. We can face the difficult things in life with grace and peace because we understand that it is the Christ that fills us, and we don't have to do it all by ourselves. I've noticed a complete shift in myself since I've began being intentional about leaning into the Lord for strength, and although I'm still tired, He is giving me so much grace and strength to glorify Him in each day.
How do we do this? This idea of being filled by Jesus is a lovely one, but practically, how can we make that happen? How do we actually get filled by Jesus and live out of an overflow of His strength and grace? Here's what I'm working on integrating into my everyday life:
Spend time in the Bible every single day. The Bible is alive and active, and when we approach our Bible study time with open hearts and hands, ready to receive whatever the Lord wants to teach us, He will speak to us and encourage us with a truth we need to hear in that moment and situation. Scripture is so incredibly powerful, and when our hearts and minds are filled with it, the truth will empower and strengthen us.
Pray, pray, pray. When we are in communication with the Father and bringing Him all of our weaknesses, He will meet us in that place and meet our needs. I cannot tell you how many times I have asked for strength to have strong legs during a run, the strength to love someone well, or to make it through the school day, and He has come through every single time. I truly believe that our God is not a prayer-answering genie, but that He desires to meet us where we're at and provide whatever we need. And when we pray, we invite God into the situation instead of trying to do it all on our own, and that in itself lifts such a weight off of our shoulders.
Listen to worship music. For me, worship music is such a unique way to connect intimately with Jesus. It's such an authentic way to thank God and cry out to Him no matter where we're at, and so often, it is while I'm worshipping that I experience His presence and peace like never before. It takes intentionality to set aside time to be one-on-one with the Lord in that way, and I always leave feeling strengthened by the Father.
Be still. Sometimes we're so drained because we're always go go going, and we just need to take a moment to refocus on Jesus. I've made it a habit to spend 2 minutes in stillness every day during my Bible study, and it has transformed my heart because in that place, I'm just in the moment with the Father, and it is so beautiful. In the stillness, it's as if I'm inviting the Lord in, He wraps His arms around me, and all the burdens of the day fall away.
You guys, we do not have to rush through life, always barely keeping our head above the water because we're doing it in our own strength. We serve a God who wants us to bring Him everything we're carrying so that He can walk alongside us in that and empower us. He desires so greatly to cover us with His peace and blessing, but we have to come to Him and invite Him in.
What does it mean to you to live out of an overflow from Jesus? How do you get "filled up" by the Lord in your everyday life? Let me know down in the comments below!
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