Overflowing Cup

A great convenience available today is the coffee maker designed to dispense one cup of coffee at a time. The model of coffee maker that we have provides a choice of three sizes (S/M/L) of drink. My favorite coffee cup has the capacity to hold the exact amount of one large plus one small cup of coffee dispensed. This is generally how I will prepare a cup of coffee to enjoy. I choose one of each and the cup fills to the top.

Occasionally, when I have attempted to add the small cup of brew to the large that is already in the cup, I have unintentionally pressed the button for another large instead. If I do not realize my error, I soon have cup of coffee that has overflowed the sides and is covering the surface of the counter around it. This creates a mess as coffee pools around everything else that is on the counter nearby. Soon everything is sitting in the rich, dark liquid that has been dispensed beyond the capacity of the cup to hold.
This happened to me the other day. As I watched the coffee stream down the cup’s sides, I almost heard the Heavenly Father say that He wishes to overflow our lives in this same way. The problem is that we come before Him choosing the small portion rather than opening ourselves up for everything that He desires to pour into us. We often come with preconceived limits on time, expectations, amount of Scripture we will read or areas of our lives we will yield to God’s purposes. God has so much more for us and for those with whom we will encounter every day.

God desires to pour out His limitless love. “Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5 AMP) We have hope in this amazing love and the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is our Constant companion. This was so important to Jesus that He told His followers, “However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].” (John 16:7 AMP) God has promised, “And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in those days will I pour out My Spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29 AMP) Young, old, men and women; we all have been given the Holy Spirit. Do we limit how much of our lives are drenched in the power and love the Holy Spirit brings?

God also pours out limitless grace to meet our needs. The apostle Paul wrote, “And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 1:14 AMP) Super abundantly and beyond measure are terms that would undoubtedly overflow any limits we put on God by our own attitudes of inferiority or unworthiness. Closely related to this grace is God’s continuous mercy. “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6 AMP) Are we willing to invest ourselves to truly receive and then extend this grace and mercy to others?
Excuses can be given to why we limit both the amount of coffee we dispense and all that God desires to pour into us. Comparison with others can prompt the excuse, “I already have a larger than regular cup.” Even if we spend more time or appear more willing to submit to the Lord than others we know, we can still limit what we receive from the goodness of the Lord. Another erroneous attitude is that “I can get more later.” God desires to speak to and use us today, and His love will never run out. These excuses may be legitimate for coffee but never for the work of God in our lives.

Obedience is the means to both receive and become suitable containers to bring God’s best to the world. “So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21 AMP) We can then be a part of the promise, “But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14 AMP) This honor is greater than any reason to limit God.

Take the limits off. Let God determine all that He desires to do in and through you and let it overflow to others.