PHILIPPIANS 1:9

“And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,” 

Have you ever known anyone who just overflowed with love? Besides my wife, I have known a few others. The moment they meet you, they want to know how they can best serve you. They are interested in everything about you. They will sacrifice themselves to ensure your needs are met. They just ooze love out of every pore.

The Greek word Paul uses here for “may overflow” is perisseúō, which means “to be over and above, to abound.” But just look at how Paul wanted their love to overflow. He prayed it would have “real knowledge and all discernment.” Ask yourself this question – Do I love that way or my own way? You might just surprise yourself with your answer.

APPLICATION

Perisseúōwas also used to describe the incidents of feeding the 5,000 and the 4,000 in Matthew. In Matthew 14:20 and 15:37, Matthew wrote that after the food was distributed and everyone was fed, food “was left over.” I don’t know about your house, but when I was growing up, we ate a lot of leftovers. I remember my mom saving up all the leftover vegetables and then making a pot of soup or stew she called goulash. It was still good food.

But unlike my mom’s leftover goulash, I guarantee you the leftover food from these two incidents in Scripture was just as good, if not better than what the people ate. Remember Jesus’ first miracle – turning water into wine? They said this wine, which was served last (the leftovers) was better than what was served first.

Why am I talking so much about leftovers? These leftovers were what was left from an abundant meal. It kept going. It kept serving. Our love should be that way. We should never run out of love for someone. Let your love today be overflowing and know how to do that wisely (in real knowledge and all discernment). Love like Jesus loves!

Thank You, Lord, for Your overflowing love for me.