Abundance of the Heart

By Brittany Vasquez

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

-Luke 6:45-

I was inspired by this scripture in the truth that it relays. What you are filled with overflows through your life. How often do we ask ourselves, “what am I filled with?” It’s not exactly the most common self evaluating question we’re conditioned to ask. Better yet, the amazing flip side to that question would be, “what do I want to be filled with?” Give yourself time to pause and really think over what that is.

Have you ever met someone who was authentically full of joy? You can’t help but to be uplifted in your spirit amidst their presence. What about a person filled with humility and a calm spirit? They bring a sense of balance. To my family of faith, have you ever been so moved by someone praying or speaking? The words proceeding from their mouth are so accurately specific and evidently Spirit revealed. What about the speaker delivering their message with excellence, showing they are full of knowledge in the given topic of discussion they are presenting?

While I made mention from a positive look, the truth is there’s always a flip side. In all honesty, depending on where life may have some of us, we may conclude that we are filled with some things we don’t personally love. I think about the person filled with such a heavy ladened heart and a difficult outlook on life. In the presence of this individual the weight that they carry can be felt. Have you ever been around someone filled with murmurs, discontent, or criticism? While alongside them it seems that complaining is their most fluent language. In thinking of someone full of themself, you can hardly make much meaningful conversations as the focus is repeatedly redirected to being about them.

”Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”- 1 Corinthians 2:12-

Have you ever sat and pondered on what God wants us to be filled with in His Spirit? It is a beautiful thought. It is in that space you can posture yourself to align with the Father’s delight for your spirit, mind, heart and soul. Many of us know the fruit of the Spirit that the Word calls us to walk in.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

-Galatians 5:22-26-

This is a solid foundation and a direct point of focus indeed. If you haven’t memorized the fruit of the Spirit I definitely recommend doing so! Recite and remind yourself constantly that out of your being, this should overflow. As the Word told us,” Let us keep in step with the Spirit.” I could end here with the message on the fruit of the Spirit and your life is destined to be changed if you should apply what you read. However, I want to raise our attention to the goodness of God! Let it be clear that He delights in what He freely gives, that we should overflow out of the abundance that He gives it. It’s one thing to be told from another person what the scripture says, it’s another to read over the words for yourself. Take in the following highlights of what your spirit can be full of:

Laughter and Joy -He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with a shout of joy. Job 8:21

Gladness -You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence. Acts 2:28

Wisdom Freely Given -If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5

Satisfaction for the Hungry Soul– For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Psalm 107:9

Peace– But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. Psalm 37:11

Righteousness– Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

Light (God’s Spiritual Perspective)- The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive, focused on God], your whole body also is full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]…Luke 11:34

Joy and Beautiful Things– You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16: 11

Friends, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). According to some of the highlights of what God freely offers, is it your desire to receive the fullness of what your heart can contain?

I want the overflow of my being to reflect my Heavenly Father’s image. This thought encouraged my prayers. Knowing God’s delight is beyond good for me, surely I want God to fill me according to. In praying also, we should desire our prayers to come from the abundance of God’s Spirit. Emotions are real and have their place. Oftentimes the rawness of our emotions is very well the place we are needing to inquire of the Lord from. Nevertheless, the desire to pray from an abundance of the Spirit should not be miscalculated as it directly affects our prayer language. We want our prayer language to agree with the language of our Almighty King. In Romans 8:26 the scripture teaches us, Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

We live for a God who will grace us to abound in every good work!(2 Corinthians 9:8) Hebrew 12:1 tells us to run with endurance the race set before us. 1 Timothy 6:12 tells us to fight the good fight of faith! A life lived out of the abundance of God’s Spirit and goodness is the higher pursuit! It is not the prerequisite to a perfect life as life will not be perfect on this side of heaven. Nevertheless, we live for the God who delights in our well being.

Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” – Psalm 35:27-

Friends, as James 1:4 encourages, let steadfastness do its complete work in us, that we may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. It matters what we are full of. I hear the following proverb reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father, “Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right” Proverbs 16:3. I express this in recognition of two statements recapturing the importance of what’s filling our hearts. Firstly I hope it matters to you in knowing that out of the abundance your mouth will speak. Secondly let it be known that “Our King Loves Him Who Speaks What Is Right.” The words of the righteous are spoken highly of in scriptures. (Proverbs 10:11,20, 31…etc.)

There’s been some light shed in reading here. I want to bring our attention to another two closing factors. In your regards, my heart expresses the following words from scripture;

“ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” -Romans 15:13 –

And lastly, know that out of the abundance of God’s heart, He speaks well concerning you.

”The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

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