I Dare You… - An Excerpt from “Overflowing”
I live to tell the story of Jesus … it is my passion … my hope … my calling … and my daily focus.
Nothing … absolutely nothing … will mute my voice or distract my vision.
I live to tell the story of Jesus.
One of the ways I tell the old, old story that never grows old … is through the publishing industry.
I have felt called … since I was just a little girl … to write books.
Most days I just have to pinch myself as I realize that dreams really do come true.
This spring … my 17th book will be published!
What?! Isn’t that simply amazing?!
And … because it is hard for me to keep a secret … I thought I would share sections of it with you over the next few months.
It might just whet your appetite enough for you to pre-order a copy!
The title of the book is “Overflowing: Living Abundantly in a Broken Culture.”
“Overflowing” is based upon the book of Colossians.
Paul wrote this letter to a confused, misguided church.
It sounds much like our church today, doesn’t it?
The truth … the encouragement … and the challenges found in Colossians … just may give you the hope and direction you need for your personal journey.
So … let’s dive in to just an excerpt from “Overflowing: Living Abundantly in a Broken Culture.”
Enjoy … be encouraged … and be challenged!
One of the most profound choices given to us by our Creator is having the power of gratitude. A thankful heart is where peace is lavish and where hope is never destroyed. We must never underestimate the dynamic of embracing and expressing a grateful heart. We simply must be a people who are overflowing with gratitude.
A thankful person is a sheer delight to be around because you can be sure this person will always be looking for the best in you. Perhaps it should be our goal to be the most grateful people on the planet.
Paul was a thankful leader, expressing his pleasure for this downtrodden church with sincere love and pleasure:
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel. (Colossians 1:3–5)
Paul began this difficult epistle with a heart of gratitude and intentionally communicated to this precious yet confused group of people just how grateful he was for them. Isn’t that a good reminder? When you must have a difficult conversation, begin it with gratitude. It is a lovely and soothing idea to start a challenging discourse with words of sincere appreciation. Paul is an astounding example of a caring leader; he not only was inwardly aware of but also verbalized those attributes in their lives for which he was thankful.
Mothers should tell their children daily the strengths they see in them; wives should be mindful to speak of what is good and admirable in their husbands. Employers should make it a daily practice to encourage those who work for them while employees must verbally inspire their employers and coworkers with words of affirmation.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we must mindfully and proactively be grateful for the people in our lives. I dare you to be the most thankful person alive in your generation!
As you go throughout life, don’t focus on people’s weaknesses or shortcomings, but always embrace a heart of genuine love. There is something lovable in every person you come across no matter how difficult it is to discover it.
“Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints. (Colossians 1:4)
Love should be the distinguishing mark of a believer in Jesus Christ; we should enthusiastically love as well as encourage others no matter who the others might be. Jesus loved sinners, and so should we. Jesus loved difficult people such as Judas, and so should we. Perhaps we should make it our personal goal in life to find something lovable in the most fractious of people.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)
According to Jesus, disciples are not known by their knowledge of Scripture, enthusiastic prayer life, or the number of years they have volunteered at church. The one characteristic that believers in every generation, on every continent, at every time in history should have in common is their vibrant love for one another.
A convicting quote is attributed to Bara Dala, an Indian philosopher, whom I think of often when I am attempting to love an irritable person: “Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians—you are not like him.”
Oh! How I long to be like Jesus. Therefore, I must love the unlovable, the rude, and the argumentative. I must.
I have learned that “loving” someone doesn’t start with “liking” them; rather, “liking” someone always begins with “loving” them. When struggling in a relationship, I look for proactive ways to demonstrate a loving attitude toward the problematic person. I have found that I can write a kind note, fix a meal, make a short but encouraging phone call, send a friendly text, or take this challenging person out for coffee. Small acts of love are persuasive in our marginalized world; the person persuaded just might be you.
I also believe Paul’s words of sincere gratitude and lovely encouragement not only brought hope to the church at Colossae but also fertilized the hope in Paul’s lonely prison cell.
Once you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and have invited Him to live in your heart, you have been given the hope of heaven. Paul references this wonderful hope in the first few sentences in his letter to the church at Colossae:
Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel. (Colossians 1:5)
It is of great interest in these first three verses of Colossians that Paul references a triumvirate of Christian values: faith, hope, and love. Faith is simply believing that Jesus is the only Son of God, that He died in our place for our sins, and that he rose from the dead. Love is an active part of our Christian faith; we love others because He first loved us. Hope refers to our future as children of God; we will live with Him forever.
It is vital in our Christian walk to make a nonnegotiable decision—a final and life-changing decision. We must intentionally determine to believe the Bible, or the gospel message of salvation, is valid. I believe every word of the God-inspired Scriptures holds eternal truth even today. The words we read on the sacred pages of Scripture were inspired by God, breathed by the Holy Spirit, and written down by men.
Peter, the disciple and the rock upon whom Christ built His church, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words reminding us of the durability of Scripture:
For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)
The Bible is not a flat book that will lose its potency as the years pass by. The Bible is wonderfully alive and holds exciting truth for every generation. God’s Word is eternally true and is the solid foundation upon which His beloved children have built their lives for thousands of years. His Word is His gift to us; it is a fascinating blueprint for us to hold, read, and apply to our lives today in the twenty-first century.
One of the most incredible aspects of daily committing to the truth of the Bible is what it will do in you. As modern-day believers in Christ, we do not read the Bible primarily for information but for transformation.
While it is true that the Bible is the historical account of God’s people and how He worked in their lives, that is not the primary reason we should read it every day. Paul reminds us of the fruit that will grow in our lives as we ingest the magnificent pages of Scripture.
Which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth. (Colossians 1:6)
The Word does a miraculous and productive work in our hearts, attitudes, and emotions as we simply open the Bible and read it. As you commit to being a faithful reader of Scripture, you will notice the difference it makes in you.
Suddenly, you will realize, “My husband is not getting on my nerves anymore! What happened to me?” The Word happened to you!
Out of the blue, you will think, “My mom isn’t as frustrating as she used to be! What happened to me?” The Word happened to you!
At the close of the day, you will remark to your husband, “You know, I didn’t yell at the kids today. What happened to me?” The Word happened to you!
The Word acts as a vibrant and nearly instant fertilizer for the fruits of the Spirit in a person’s life. We need the Word to stabilize our emotions and to help us exhibit love and kindness in difficult situations.
“It is constantly bearing fruit and increasing,” is Paul’s reminder to the church at Colossae and therefore to us as well. The Word of God possesses the astounding ability to grow Christian character in the life of a committed believer.
You will notice a profound and lasting difference in your emotional stability as you joyfully partake of the Word each day. There will be moments that you will not completely understand the Word with your mind, but don’t despair when this happens. Your spirit will always catch what your mind is unable to comprehend. Your spirit is more apt to attract and connect with the principles of Scripture than is your mind.
If you are struggling with an addiction, open your Bible. If you are tormented by worry or anxiety, read the Word. If you are consumed by a constant bad attitude, be in awe of the sacred pages of Scripture. If you lack personal discipline, memorize a verse or two. If a certain person constantly frustrates you, read the Word out loud to yourself.
One of the spectacular facets of the Bible is that when you read it, believe it, and apply it to your life, the inside growth will become obvious on the outside of you! You will be a fruit-bearing and delicious Christian.
Thanks for listening to my heart this week. As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me. And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!
Pre-Order Your Copy of Overflowing Today!
If you long to live a life overflowing with hope, peace, and joy, perhaps what your life needs is an intentional center. We all have one―that nucleus upon which we obtain our energy and discern our purpose. Perhaps until now, your center has been based on shopping, entertainment, or sports. Or maybe you are like many others and have centered your very existence upon your children, family, or career. What if those things you’ve placed at the center of your life will not bring you the abundance you desire? What if you need a true center?
Bible scholars through the ages have insisted that the book of Colossians is the most Christ-centered book in the entire Bible. If that is true, then we, as twenty-first-century believers, must choose to study this Jesus-centric epistle with enthusiasm and with intention. By the end of this deep dive into the sacred pages of Scripture, your life will shout to the world, “I am Christ-centered! He is my source, my joy, my all in all!”
