Overflow
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." - Colossians 3:16
Reflection
I have had the blessing of serving in education for the last 25 years, 16 of which I served in the classroom. After a 10-year hiatus from the classroom due to administrative duties, I have finally returned to teaching as part of my role as Upper Elementary Principal, where I teach a Leadership Character and Habits class to sixth graders. My return to instructional duties has reminded me that students can smell an imposter from a mile away. Somehow, they tend to know when a teacher is "calling in a performance" or simply showing up daily to get a paycheck.
When teachers are not passionate about what they teach, their lessons tend to resemble a game of telephone, where they impart information simply for the sake of passing it along. There is an inherent issue with this approach. As anyone who has played this childhood game knows, information tends to become distorted as it passes from one source to the next. The result is that neither the teacher nor the student remains fundamentally changed by the information. There is no long-term learning, and consequently, no long-term growth. The same is true for those who are actively involved in ministry and the majority of us who profess to be followers of Christ.
How can this be avoided? In the educational setting, when teachers are practitioners actively seeking to learn and grow, they tend to internalize the information they teach; they are deeply immersed in it. In a way, what they teach is the overflow of what they have themselves learned and put into practice, while simultaneously leaving space for the learner to engage with the material in unique ways. Let's explore how this can be applied to our spiritual lives.
Application
In Paul's epistle to the Colossians, he encourages readers,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16)
As Christians, we are called to engage with the Word of God in a way that it "dwells" in us "richly". This requires more consideration than just a quick read, a few minutes before diving into our daily tasks. I confess this is something I am way too familiar with. God deserves more. Paul was encouraging us toward something more profound, more meaningful and more impactful. Meaningful engagement with the Lord through His Word requires us to be present—not just occasionally, but daily.
In his sermon titled “Thirsty", Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Ga, provided some practical steps we can take towards quenching our thirst for God through daily time in prayer, worship, or reading the Bible. I have summarized some of his key takeaways below.
Start with just 30 minutes a day.
We must decide that we want to be people who are dedicated to spending time with God in His Word.
We must commit to making space for quiet time with the Lord.
We must be still. Pastor Giglio encourages us to keep a notebook and a pen nearby to write down any distracting thoughts while we are in prayer, so we can quickly set them aside and return to our conversation with the Lord.
Pastor Giglio reminds us that prayer isn't always about talking to God; it also involves listening to God. He also adds that if we are at a loss for words, we can simply read Scripture to the Lord, allowing it to wash over our minds and our hearts. * (See footnote)
Closing
As we prepare for the coming week. Let us commit to being people who are dedicated to spending time with the Lord in prayer, worship, or in the Word. Let us avoid the trap of being shallow vessels by allowing His Word to saturate our hearts and our minds so that it dwells in us and transforms us. And let the overflow of God's presence in our lives be a blessing to everyone we encounter.
Yours in Christ,
Brad
Some Exciting News from Wisdom in a Whisper Ministries
Stay tuned for some exciting new features coming to the Mount Blog, including "Quick facts about our faith that every Christian should know," which will be posted every other weekend. We are also delighted to announce that Maryellen Berry, Wisdom in a Whisper Board Member and Director of Professional Growth and Learning at Whitefield Christian Academy, in Smyrna, Ga, will be a regular contributor to The Mount Blog, posting twice a month beginning October 5.
Maryellen has over 30 years of experience in school ministry. The many students, teachers, and school leaders who attribute a large part of their success to having been taught by her, worked with her, or mentored by her are a testament to her faithful commitment to serving the Lord by investing in the personal and professional lives of others.
Please do not hesitate to contact our prayer team with prayer requests and praise reports. Email our prayer ambassadors at: Prayerrequests@wisdominawhisper.com
*Click for Passion City Church’s website, where you will find Pastor Louie Giglio's whole sermon on September 28, 2025, at Passion City Church, Atlanta, GA.
