Monday Manna - Abundantly

Welcome to my contribution to Monday Manna at Exemplify. It is my pleasure to give my thoughts on this wonderful verse. Be sure to stop by Kristen's blog to see what others have to say.

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14

Have you ever thought about what our lives would be like if our Lord was stingy with his giving?

What if he only loved us enough to get us by? Or what if he only delivered his grace to us in teaspoons? What if our faith was doled out in ounces?

But thankfully, that is not God's way. The Lord's grace comes by the bucketful, not the dropperful. He pours out his love to overflowing, and his faith is ever-plentiful. What an amazing, amazing God we have.

But (and you knew this was coming, didn't you?), are we not told to be like our Lord? Aren't we supposed to be just as generous with our grace, love, and faith? When was the last time you poured your own love out into someone until it overflowed? It's so much easier to think that our love of others (especially the "others" we want to avoid - the poor, perhaps? or maybe those pierced, low-pantsed teenagers? or those WeiRDoS from the wrong denomination?) should be tempered, or that, perhaps we only have so much to go around.

But we have the love, grace, and faith of Christ within us. We are overflowing with it. He gave it to us by the gallon, not the teaspoon.

And shouldn't we do the same to others?

Heavenly Father, thank You abundantly for giving me your grace, faith, and love to overflowing. Help me to take those precious gifts and give them to those around me who need them most. Help me to not be stingy, as you never are. My my abundant gifts from you overflow into, and from, those I meet. In Jesus' name.
Amen