Love That Overflows

And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 - MSG

The Word of God overflows with an emphasis on love. “For God so loved the world” is where it all starts and then it ends up in us  - His love in us. It’s the first fruit of the Spirit. God gives us love and it lives in us. This love isn’t the kind of love that comes from human effort. It isn’t the result of trying harder, pushing deeper, or forcing yourself to feel something you don’t. This love, God’s love, is a love that increases in us and then overflows through us. The love in us is a love that God Himself places in us and then it grows inside us.

This is more than affection. It is more than kindness. It is the supernatural work of the Lord shaping your heart to look like His. Paul prays, “May the Lord make you increase and overflow in love for one another and for all people.” He knows that real love—self-giving, patient, sacrificial love—does not originate in us. It is planted by God, watered by God, and strengthened by God. And, yes, it is growing inside of every true Follower of Jesus Christ.

This overflowing love is meant to go first, toward one another, toward the people God has placed in your little circle of influence. Then, love inside the church becomes essential. It becomes the glue that holds Believers together when life or the enemy tries to pull them apart.

Then there’s the “all people” part. God’s love is never meant to stay contained. No, God’s love is meant to overflow outward into the lives of neighbors, coworkers, strangers, and even those who oppose or misunderstand you. Overflowing love reaches the difficult, the distant, and the undeserving—because that is exactly how God has loved you. He didn’t just love you. He loved you with an everlasting love that overflowed from His heart to yours and now His love is in you so you can overflow into others as well.

Today, ponder this love. Think about the love that is in you in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Think about how He saved you because of His great love that He then placed in you. As you open your heart to Him today, know that He is shaping you into someone who loves with His strength, His compassion, and His grace.

Prayer

Father, let Your love take root in me in a deeper way today. Cause it to grow, to stretch, and to overflow into every relationship and every moment. Teach me to love my Brothers and Sisters with patience and sincerity. Help me extend that same love to every person I meet, even when it feels difficult. Shape my heart to reflect Yours and strengthen me in holiness as I walk with You.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.