The Increase عينة

MATT HOLLIDAY

POURING LIFE

When you think of something being poured, what do you think of? Maybe you think of sweet tea, being poured over the ice cubes into a crystal clear glass? Maybe you think of pouring water into a pot that’s growing your favorite flower or vegetable? Every morning, I pour myself a hot cup of coffee. Or on a more serious note, I think of Christ’s blood being poured out for me.

There are so many things that are poured out every day.

But have you ever thought about pouring yourself? Specifically, have you ever thought about pouring your life into someone else’s life? All of us get to a point where we need to intentionally pour Jesus Christ into other people around us. It’s what Scripture calls us to do, and it’s a huge part of making disciples.

The writer of Hebrews is serious about this. His tone is stern, but don’t let the tone blind you of the message.

I think we all get to a point in our lives when we’re ready to pour Jesus into the lives of the people around us. The problem is that sometimes we don’t recognize the urgency or the timeline. We’re like the people in that Hebrews passage - we should have become teachers or mentors by now, but we haven’t yet chosen that path. And as a result, we can’t even discern what’s good, and what’s evil. No matter what age we are, we can still be drinking the spiritual milk of an infant, rather than becoming someone who feeds others.

I’m not saying that everyone will FEEL like they’re ready to pour their life into another life. I didn’t feel like I was ready either (and sometimes, I still don’t). But that’s where God meets us. In His grace, He becomes our voice. By His Spirit, the things important to His heart are communicated through our trembling lips. God is the one who makes us qualified for this role of mentoring, not our good works or perceived maturity level. It’s absolutely vital for us to grow up in Christ, so that we can imperfectly offer Him to others.

Where would you be without the people who’ve poured Christ’s life into yours? For that matter, where would any of us be?

So many people have poured Jesus into my life, From married couples, to coaches, and even teammates - they’ve all played a significant role in the Christian man I’m becoming today. I talk in greater depth about maturing and mentoring in my story at theincrease.com. I’d love for you to join me there.