Filled with Faith: Embracing the Fullness of God’s Love
When we find our name on the final roster, our chests fill with excitement, pride and anticipation. What we’ve worked toward and hoped for has now become reality! When we love something, we put everything we have into it. That could be our sport, a hobby or even a specific area of study we want to turn into a career. We live and breathe what’s important to us. But this can lead to a rickety foundation if what we’ve placed our hope in disappoints us or crumbles unexpectedly.
The sure bet of building a life around something that sustains is building from the overflow of God’s love. God gave Jesus to take our sins and introduce us to a life of value, meaning and impact.
“A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” – John 10:10
Jesus pointed out how vastly different the thief of our souls is from our Savior. Where the enemy leads us down a path of discord, hurt and destruction, Jesus, our good Shepherd, brings a life full of abundance, unity and light.
How great would it be to live out of a fullness that comes from staying close to God? There are a few things to keep us in a close relationship with God that let us live joyfully, attentively and intentionally.
God has so much more in store for us than we can even imagine. Beyond any championship, accolade or success, God wants to give us an abundant life in Him. How does living out of the fullness He promises to make a difference in both our lives and in the lives of those around us?
Take a minute and listen to the voice of Jesus, reminding you of what it looks like to live in the promises and overflow of His love.
Overflowing joy
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that is produced in us by the power of the Holy Spirit when we choose to see situations with an eternal lens. Even in our trials, God can grow a deeper joy that isn’t dependent on what we face, but on who we face it with. Deep-rooted joy is intriguing, and others will notice this in you and want to know how you remain joyful, even in the middle of hard things.
“You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” – Psalm 16:11.
Overflowing hope
God’s promises fill us with ultimate hope that does not disappoint. We know that in the end, He will make all things right, and we can look to Him in all our circumstances to build confidence that in Christ, no situation is impossible, and there is always more to come.
“Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” – Romans 8:24-25.
Overflowing grace
Grace abounds over and over. For as many times as we slip and stumble, God guides us back to His mercy and love. The more grace God gives, the more we receive. And the more we receive, the more we get to be vessels of that grace and extend it to the people around us. Grace gives more than we can imagine, and it’s what sets God’s love apart.
“Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17-18.
Living from the overflow brings a deep and lasting peace that can only come from fully abiding in the Lord. Recognize His joy, hope and grace for you; receive it, and let it settle within you. This is the full life Jesus promises. Choose the way of God’s grace, and step into all the abundance that comes from our good Shepherd.
Sarah Freymuth is the Communications Manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and writes content for blogs, articles, Bible reading plans and devotionals that share God’s heart with coaches and athletes. She played softball for Concordia University Wisconsin, is in their Hall of Fame, and has led FCA Huddles since high school.
