Growing and Overflowing

Day 283: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-20, 3:1-13

“And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and everyone else, just as our love overflows for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT

When we decide that we want to follow Jesus, one of the first things that God starts to work through with us is our love for others.

God’s desire is for our love toward each other to scale to the point of an overflow (excess).

The word Paul uses for grow is pleonazō, and it means to cause an increase. The word he uses for overflow is perisseuō, and it means to go beyond or more than enough.

Both words are associated with intensity. This means that God’s call to love will require us to be stretched. We know from this verse that it is God who will do the stretching. He will increase our capacity to care for others.

This language also suggests a process. None of us will overflow at the beginning, especially for someone who has wronged us. Before love can overflow, it has to grow. Start small with a prayer of forgiveness or an act of kindness.

This isn’t easy work, but it is necessary for our growth as followers of Jesus.

Ultimately, love will bring greater unity to the church and will become a bridge for more people to cross into the family of God by Jesus our Savior.