Flowing with God in 2025

Happy 2025, men and women of God! Today’s issue of The Overflow is inspired by a new year, fresh with new opportunity. I know that not everyone sets New Year's resolutions—many of you prefer to adjust your goals throughout the year, which is fantastic and something we should all embrace… but personally, I love the sense of renewal that comes when the calendar hits January 1st.

As we think about fresh vision and new ambitions as Christians, it’s way more rewarding and impactful when we dream and make our plans with God. I’ve come to love this process! In fact, each year one of my best friends and I get together to create vision boards – it’s become a fun tradition, and we’ve even started bringing her little girls in on the fun. When we start, we always invite the Holy Spirit in to guide and inspire us as we flip through magazines, looking for images and words that resonate with us and align with what we think and hope God may have in store for us in the coming year.

(Quick sidenote, and for another time, I think one of the most profound things God has shown me in the last few years is that we were made to dream, literally designed for it. We were made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and He is the ultimate dreamer! If you want a great book that looks at this concept biblically and encourages you toward your unique calling, I highly recommend “Dream” by Dutch Sheets.)

Alright, back to the new year stuff. I know lots of people also choose a word for the year – something I think is fun but had never personally done. This year though, as I heard everyone talking about their personal words, I told God I wanted one. He delivered. In my prayer time with Him, I got the word, “Flow”. At first, I questioned if I heard Him right or made it up on my own. (After all, it is pretty close to the title of this newsletter ‘overflow’, which is also the word my local church has for 2025. And honestly, “overflow” sounded like more fun, so I questioned if that was supposed to be my word too.) But turned out, God wouldn't let me change it – He was clear. To seek confirmation, I started looking up the word in the Bible to gain more insight on the topic.

Here’s what I found:

• Depending on translation, the word “flow” appears up to 228 times in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament in the context of flowing water, a flow of blessings, or a flow of speech or praise.

• In the New Testament, the word is used metaphorically to describe the flow of words or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

• I also found this note on the theological implications of in BibleHub: “The concept of flow in the Bible underscores the dynamic and active nature of God's interaction with His creation. It reflects His continuous provision, the movement of His Spirit, and the fulfillment of His promises … The imagery of flow encourages believers to remain connected to the source of life, Jesus Christ, and to allow His Spirit to work through them, bringing life and blessing to the world around them.”

  
  

Ok, so after that I decided maybe this was a word that God would want to give me. What was really cool is that I also remembered I had included a picture I loved on my vision board that featured a lake, mountains, and flowers, with the words "Go with the flow" on it. (Added confirmation!). So, to anchor it down, I decided I wanted to have a few key verses that I’d use to stamp the term on my heart this year. I landed on one from the OT and one from the NT.

• In the OT, I found Proverbs 4:23 which says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” This is a good reminder that what flows into the heart will affect what flows out of us.

• In the NT, I found John 7:38 where Jesus Himself says: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” This specific word in the Greek (“Rheo”) only appears once, and it’s right here in this verse referencing the Holy Spirit. Culturally, flowing water was also often a common metaphor for life and vitality.

After sitting with all of this, I decided this was a God-breathed word for me. I want to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that the flow is natural – that I don’t question anything because I know I am walking closely with Him. To flow like this with God would mean I am filtering the right things in, and the right things out. It would mean that I can be confident I won't miss anything He has for me and that all the God-dreams He gives me will come to pass in His timing.

Something else that I’ve learned since I declared this word mine is that the state of my heart is going to be important in walking this out – it must be fully surrendered to Him, allowing Him to lead it wherever He wants it to go. This includes being open to Him changing my heart (and mind) on matters. It’s only 15 days into the new year, and I can already see Him inviting me to let go of control and flow with the Creator of the Universe who always has my best interest in mind.

So, as I enter this year of ‘flow’, my hope and prayer is that you, too, find yourself in a similar state. May you embrace life with an open heart, filter all that goes in and out of you, and trust that as you walk in harmony with God, you will experience all He has for you.

And as I wrap, here’s some additional content that has recently benefited me:

• To Sharpen: Motive & Reward of Tithing - Pastor Vlad

• To Worship: Set me on fire | Benjamin William Hastings

• To Soak: Worship Session 006 | Garett & Kate

• To Ponder: Proverbs 21:1

• Bonus Content: If you are wanting to get your finances in order or have a desire to be more generous this year, I just added a brand-new section on FOTV under Resources titled “Giving and Generosity”. It includes a guide designed to help people to better understand the biblical concept of tithing and generosity.

And as always, I ask you to remember this truth: your life and what you do with it matters. The world needs you, and as you follow and remain in Jesus, you WILL bear fruit!

Much Love,

Kellie