Is Your Life Overflowing?

At least once a week, I cause a minor flooding issue in my home. We live outside the reaches of city water, so a well provides the water for our daily needs. I grew up drinking well water, and I am content to drink the earthy-tasting, mineral-filled beverage.

Our home, however, is fitted with a reverse osmosis system that provides the cleanest, freshest drinking water I’ve ever tasted. The skinny faucet bringing this delicious drink to our cups is oriented so we can leave our cups on the counter right under the spigot to fill them. Busy days or forgetfulness often leave water overflowing the glass’s edge, onto the counter, and down onto the hardwood floor.

You may think that after nearly five years of living with this water system, I would have mastered the art of filling my glass without causing a deluge in the kitchen.  Time and time again, I furiously rush for towels to contain the creeping water before it reaches the vents in the floor.

Our church uses John 10:10 as a guiding scripture. Jesus tells his followers he came so we may live and have life to the full. The Greek word used for “full” in this passage translates as full to overflowing. Jesus wants us to have a vibrant, abundant life overflowing with him.

My frequent flood provides a concrete visual for the kind of life Jesus wants for us: a life so full and rich we can’t help but overflow with gratitude and love into the lives of others.

Our modern lives show we confuse the abundance Jesus spoke of with excess. Our lives positively overflow, but with noise, activity, stress, and commitments. These things can steal the abundant life Jesus wants for us. We must be purposeful in our days to cultivate a life that overflows with the right things.

Is your life overflowing with busyness? Are you rushing from one activity to another? Do you run out the door in the morning with your coffee and purse and little more than a frazzled prayer for no traffic, barely acknowledging God has given you the miracle of another day?

Is your life so full of stress that one more drop may send you over the edge? Are you seeking the Lord to help you manage your stressors and give you wise counsel to make changes? Or do you find your stress relief at the bottom of a bottle, hours of mindlessly staring at a glowing screen, or in heaping bowls of ice cream?

Is your day so full of noise you can no longer discern the whisperings of the Holy Spirit?

I confess, my days often feel full to the point of overwhelming with things of this world. When I start to feel like I am drowning in the torrent of life, I know I need to refocus my efforts.

Abundant life comes from realizing Christ is always with me. I fix my heart toward gratitude when I thank him for innumerable blessings my life. I ask him what he is teaching me when times get tough. The good is more beautiful and the bad more bearable with Jesus beside me.

Just before Jesus tells us he has come to give life in John 10:10, he reminds us the enemy works to cause suffering in our life. Jesus has come to provide us with purposeful work and meaningful experience in service to his kingdom.  The enemy seeks to distract us from that work and break our spirits.  Sometimes the enemy uses hardship to hurt us.  Just as often, he tricks us into filling our lives with good things that distract us from the best.

While I love the image of the cup overflowing with God’s love and provision, the cup at my sink overflows as a result of distraction and hurry. I feel discouraged and frustrated when I am on my hands and knees, cleaning up yet another spill.

How do we combat a life so flooded with activity that we neglect nurturing our souls and our relationship with God?

Start your day with God.

It may be 30 seconds or 30 minutes, but starting your day with the Word and with prayer can help you get off to a great start.  My favorite way to start my day is with the Common Prayer app.

Create margin in your life.

I am a recovering people pleaser. Setting healthy boundaries is not my strong point, but I know putting guardrails around my time and energy protect me from burnout. Burnout is the enemy’s favorite hiding place and a breeding ground for sin. Evaluate how you spend your time, and ask God to show you what needs to change.

Surround yourself with Scripture.

I placed Colossians 3:23 in my email signature to remind me with each email I send that I am working for the pleasure of God, not man.

Strive for progress, not perfection.

We are going to mess up. Feeling stressed, anxious, and exhausted are cues that we are striving for man’s version of life, not God’s. When you find yourself in a season of overwhelm, follow the steps above to get back on track. Ask a friend or mentor to keep you accountable in making room for God’s abundance in your life.

Will you leave behind the overflow that comes from hurry for the outpouring of abundant life that comes from surrendering your schedule to Jesus?

Lindsay Hufford is a writer, slow marathoner, home educator and mediocre knitter. Her favorite things include books, kombucha, kitchen dancing, natural wellness, Jesus, and nachos. She spends days with her handsome hubby, three adorable kids, a flock of hens, a runaway peahen, wandering barn cat, and rescue dog. Lindsay shares ways to live simply and love extravagantly at www.lindsayhufford.com.

Photograph © Samara Doole, used with permission