The Spilling Over Effect

Over the years, I have endeavored to learn how to walk closer and closer with Christ. I have a longed to know God in a deep and personal way, and to please Him with the way I lived my life. But I have found being the person I think God wants me to be is rarely easy! The practical application of biblical truth in everyday life is easier to discuss than to experience.

At times in my walk, I think I've actually gone backward rather than forward in my efforts to be a better follower of Jesus--certainly held things in neutral for a while. I discovered, however, that anything other than authentic spiritual growth was less than satisfying. I didn't want to be fake or false. So I set out to understand how I could become more of the person God would have me be.

Watching Other Believers

It didn't take long to see I wasn't the only one struggling with the practical application of biblical truth in everyday life. The more I watched, the more I saw; and the more I saw, the more shocked I became? In spite of these believer's best efforts, they were behaving much the same as the worldly people around them. Given similar circumstances, those who professed belief in Christ seemed to choose similar solutions to problems and issues in their lives as did their law-abiding, moral-by-society's-standards, non-believing neighbors.

So what was wrong? There certainly was no shortage of believers desiring to do the right Christian thing. Some even had become legalistic in their efforts, thinking they could measure their righteousness with external actions. I saw people who distinguished themselves from the rest of society only in that they attended church services regularly and gave their money solely to religious causes.

As for the values that undergirded the everyday decisions of life, I saw little difference. Hard decisions that required a stand for what was right, or significant personal sacrifice, or a moral issue that required a godly response, seemed to be made by the same standards as those used by the rest of the world.

Discovering the Truth

One day it dawned on me. Talking righteousness does not equal righteousness. Wanting righteousness does not equal righteousness. Following a set of rules does not equal righteousness. None of of these remove our vulnerability toward taking the easy way out of a troubling situation. For us to be righteous, our righteousness must flow from the One who is in us, not be produced for the One who is in us. That does not mean we do not attempt to please Jesus with our actions, but He Himself taught us that, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Godly behavior must spill out from within us. When we fully submit ourselves to the Christ who lives within us, we will find ourselves behaving like Him. That is the whole idea behind the spiritual fruit discussion in Galatians 5:22-23. It is His fruit that we bear.

How can we bear His fruit? We can't! However, we can allow Him to bear His fruit in us. The "Spilling Over Effect" occurs when Jesus is so alive in us and controlling our thoughts that we behave as He would in the situations of our lives--and do so naturally. It sounds too simple to be true, but if you try it, you will look back after a few months and see a new person looking back at you. Intentionally allowing Jesus to control your thinking, desires, and ambitions will result in behavior that is different than that you would have chosen for yourself. 

A Different Approach

I have become firmly convinced that if I am to apply biblical truth in my everyday life, I must approach the endeavor in an entirely different way. Rather tan concentrating on improving my behavior--patience, for example--I must must concentrate on giving Jesus authority over my lack of patience and give Him the right to exercise His patience through me. The more I strive to to surrender myself to His control, the more I begin to behave like Him. It's supernatural. It's the Spilling-Over Effect.

So What Do We Do?

To experience Christ's spilling-over effect in your life:

1. Come to grips with the fact that it is not what you profess, but what you do that indicates the core values steering your choices and decisions.

2. Read Paul's letter to the Galatians. You will clearly see that a legalistic approach to faith will leave you wanting in the end. Legalism is too heavily dependent on your own ability to follow the rules.

3. Rather than "trying hard" to change your behavior, seek to submit that area of your life needing change to the authority of Christ. Do this as often as it comes to your mind. After a period of time, you will be able to look back and see the changes He has made, and be pleasantly surprised!

4. Begin watching the Spilling-Over Effect start to spill over into the lives of others who are watching you. What could be a better gift to yourself and to others in your life?