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Last week, we talked about living in the overflow, meaning to be saturated with God’s presence to the point we begin to overflow His Glory. Since we cannot contain His Glory, the overflow becomes the catalyst to our calling.  We all have the same calling: to glorify God in everything we do. This is why we are here. Scripture says God created us for His glory (Isa. 43:7) and instructs us to “do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Logically, this sounds reasonable, however, spiritually, we will be stretched beyond our own ability.  To be stretched means to cause something to reach, often as far as possible, (beyond normal limits) in a particular direction and that can be extremely uncomfortable, even painful.

We cannot afford to be so preoccupied with just living life that we forget why we were created! The Lord is constantly leading us towards our destiny and many times, we don’t even know it. He is ordering our steps and guiding our decisions, as we move from one place to another in this life.  Although this scripture may be very familiar, it should reveal something new to us every time we read, say, or hear it.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take [what decisions to make].

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT (paraphased)

Our obedience is the key.  Sometimes we think we have a choice to obey God, and yes, we have free will.  However, no matter what we choose to do or choices we make, for our fruit to grow, God must make it rain.  We may decide that we just want to live the simple life and the Lord will let us settle for simple, even when He knows that He has a better life for us.  But to have better, we will have to be stretched, pulled beyond our self-imposed limits. 

As we all look back over the last three (3) years, even in the midst of some of our greatest challenges ever, the Holy Spirit has continued to create opportunities for us to utilize our true God-given gifts and talents.  So, as we live in the overflow, we should not be surprised when our assignment triggers our inadequacies. Many of us may tend to underestimate our abilities, especially during difficult times, but remember, we are being stretched! 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthews 5:16

As we move forward, we cannot afford to be too busy doing things that be fruitful and miss the moment(s).  They may not be BIG moments, according to our expectations.  But we must be ready when the door opens, because it’s the small opportunities, at just the right time, that may count the most,

…which is why we must always be listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying!