Your cup runs over.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."
- Psalm 23:5 (New King James Version)
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A friend of mine and I read Emotionally Healthy Spirituality together earlier this year (highly recommend it!) and a statement the author made about how we will all ultimately "die with countless unfinished projects and goals" (Ch 6, pg 221) was a hard pill for us to swallow at the time. We want to get EVERYTHING done that we were created to do and leave this life fully poured out right? And, if we have faith and walk in obedience, it's possible right? I absolutely believe it's possible; I'm just also starting to see another perspective:
What if leftover projects and ideas were more a sign of God's abundant blessing than of our failure to get it all done?
Excess is God's signature! From David gushing about how his "cup runs over" in this week's scripture, to the leftover fragments that remained after Jesus fed the multitudes (Matthew 14:20), God has a track record of providing more than what's needed. In my mind, that means ideas, dreams, projects, etc too. It's our job to work with Him to sort through the most important ones to focus on during this precious life He's given us. And it's our privilege to actually allow there to be some "waste". That's literally the definition of abundance! It's just TOO much.
I know you desire to live the abundant life Jesus came to give us. What I'm starting to see is that embracing abundance requires a simultaneous acceptance of your limits. You may get a lot done, but you alone may not get it ALL done—and that's ok. Cuz your cup runs over and there's too much to get done anyway. Leave it to the next generation or, as counterintuitive as it may feel, allow it to be "wasted". If it needs to get done, trust and believe God will handle it.
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Still hungry? Eat some more //
- I love Pastor Toure Robert's message on focus from this past Sunday. He spoke about focusing on the things you're graced for more so than everything you can be successful at. Really good message to listen to if you're praying about what to focus on vs de-prioritize or "waste" right now.
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More hallmarks of God's excessiveness:
- Moses having to tell the people to stop bringing offerings because they were too much (Exodus 36:1-7)
- King Solomon's wealth (1 Kings 4-10ish)
- Paul talking about how much God can do (Ephesians 3:20)
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