10 Spoons

Did you ever get food delivered?  You know, like for a bunch of people... maybe a couple of platters of sandwiches or pans of pasta?  Hopefully the people you ordered from gave you a lot of silverware in the bags too.  Now, you might not have told the person who took your order that you were feeding 10 or 20, but they probably figured it out by the amount of food you ordered.   The volume of food should suggest the number of mouths.  Now, when you go to Grandma's house for the holidays and you are helping to set the table, the same principle works in reverse.  You say, "Hey Grandma, how many place settings do we need?"  She might say 7 or she might say 16.  This information then makes you picture how many chairs will be needed and even how much food she is probably cooking.  Makes sense right?  The volume of food suggests the number of mouths and... the number of mouths suggests the volume of food.
            I am here to tell you that you were given 10 spoons by God!  God never intended us to just take care of ourselves (Gen 4:9 - am I my brother's keeper?).  He also never intended to give us 'just enough' (John 10:10 - abundant life).  What God intended was life full.. NO, overflowing with love and peace and hope.  (not money, just the important things)  He intended us to have dominion over creation, on His behalf.  Just and kind co-rulers, sharing the responsibility and the joy together!!!!  Yup, that was the plan for all of us in the garden of Eden... oh and IT IS STILL the plan. 
                                    Say what????    Yes, it's still God's plan for us. 
            I call this '10 spoons' because it makes me think of a huge pot of chili, a pot made for sharing.  When I make chili, I always double the meat and beans... and the chopped up green peppers and onions.  To me, chili is more than comfort food, it's an event and I love to share it.  "Here, try some.  Do you want shredded cheese or sour cream with it?  BOTH??  ME TOO!  Fritos, here, you gotta have fritos with the chili as well."  When I make chili, I also make sure that there are enough bowls and spoons to go around.  I want to make sure that anybody who wants some, gets some.  Like I said, I make chili to share.
            I believe God made fruit trees that way too.  Honestly, how many mangos does the tree really need to make, to replace itself?  But, have you seen a huge mango tree???  Tons and tons of mangos!!!  Mangos to plant seeds, to eat and to share.  (most times, too many to eat them all)  That is God's intended picture of us.  It's the clue that the volume we are getting from God is too much to horde, too much to keep to ourselves.  God is a fountain, a spring of (life-giving) fresh water, flowing and flowing and flowing.  We are vessels, containers for His outpouring.  Being made in His image, we are supposed to be outpouring too.     He fills us so we can also pour out.         
                                    (let me put to rest your 2 objections to that last statement) 
There is no chance of Him running out and if we horde what He gives us, it will become stagnant!
            The devil and our sin-poisoned flesh tell us these things can't possibly be true, but Jesus turned off His God-stuff as He walked the earth and relied solely on His Heavenly Father, knowing that we would need that example.  He, who was the fountain, became a vessel like us.  As a vessel, He fed 5000.... and said we would do greater things.  I think we all do that thing where we think about 'how much we need', when we are confronted with the choice to be generous.  (a homeless person asks us for cash and we sort of reach in our pockets trying not to take everything out, only what we don't need... right?)  Well, that is not God's plan...
He intended us to have dominion over creation, on His behalf.  Just and kind co-rulers, sharing the responsibility and the joy together!
            God gave us each 10 spoons to remind us of how He provides.  If we give what he gave us, He will give us more.  (talents, money, compassion, clothes, hope, tears, joy and time)  All meant to be shared, like a harvest ...that's why love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are the fruit of the Holy Spirit!      - He fills us so we can pour out -

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