Are You Standing in Stinky Water?

Luke 6:38 -  Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you. (AMP)

How is the flow in your house? Is there a flow or is there a standstill? Earlier this week as I was fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit in my quiet time, thanking Him for several things, He filled me in with some interesting insights.

Sow into the Kingdom. People need to be a distribution channel & not a reservoir of money & blessings. The great thing about a channel & stream & river is there is a CONTINUAL FLOW!!! A reservoir of water often gets stinky & also in dry times can completely dry up! You always want to stay in the FLOW!!

When we hoard money, time, our gifts, when we keep to ourself what God meant for us to sow, we get out of the FLOW. Just as oxygen & carbon dioxide are essential to the breathing and the life flow, giving (sowing) is essential to the receiving flow. The following excerpt may explain a bit of what a "non-sower" could experience:

Pools of standing or slow-flowing water provide a breeding ground for many insects, including mosquitoes that can transmit diseases. These mosquitoes are known as vectors. Different species of mosquitoes transmit different diseases, and they will also breed in different types of water collections. (World Health Organization)

When we stop the flow of giving, that is when the "stink" starts to happen in our lives. We may begin to experience lack in our lives. We may notice ourselves trending to "inward self", looking to how can "I" solve this money problem, how can "I" fix this, how can "I" provide? When we get out of the flow and stop giving of our time, money, resources, love, etc, we begin to look to ourselves for the answers. We begin to become self-reliant instead of God-reliant. Then we may eventually find ourselves standing in a pool of stinky water, infested with mosquitos. When the flow stops, the stink begins. The lack rises to the service.

Get a picture of this. When there is a continual FLOW, when we continue to give; sow money (or time or love, etc) into places we feel led (our church, ministries, people in need, etc), when we STAY IN THE FLOW an automatic result to that IS receiving. It is a natural cycle, if the giving stops, the receiving stops. If the cycle stops, it begins to breed death instead of life. When you STAY in the flow, you WILL find that you can not get away from receiving. It IS part of the cycle. You give and you receive! According to Luke 6:38, when you GIVE it shall be given back to you! Pressed down (envision packing down brown sugar in a measuring cups - these blessings will be pressed down tight so more can fit!), shaken together & running over! When you STAY in the flow, the AUTOMATIC default is to continue to be blessed! And last time I checked, God gives very good gifts! 30-60-100 fold return from God is WAY better than "keeping what we have" with a closed fist.

So friend, lets stay out of the stinky, mosquito-infested water! Let's STAY in the fresh, clean FLOW!