Pure Overflow: How Relationships Reflect Our Walk with Christ

As I was cleaning up after painting with three of my kids, God gave me a visual reminder of why the people we surround ourselves with are so important in our walk with Christ—and why having our own personal relationship with Jesus is crucial for growth.

If you’ve ever painted with a two-year-old, you know that the water used to rinse brushes between colors quickly turns murky—often ending up nearly black. My son had been using dark blue and black paint, so his water cup was especially dark. As I began cleaning up, I placed his cup and my two-year-old's equally dirty one next to each other in the sink and turned on the water.

You’ve likely seen the visual analogy of God’s grace cleansing us: starting with dirty water (our brokenness and sin) and pouring clean, pure water (God’s grace and mercy) into the cup until it becomes clear. It’s a process that takes time, but the water eventually turns clean and pure. Don’t miss the significance of the overflow in this process—it spills over, impacting what’s around it.

Today, as I cleaned the cups, I noticed something new. The cup being poured into directly began to overflow into the other dirty cup. Slowly—very slowly—the water in the second cup became lighter and clearer because of the overflow from the first.

That’s when it hit me: this is exactly what happens in our lives. Just as one cup overflowed with clean water into another, the people we surround ourselves with profoundly impact us.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” When we surround ourselves with fellow believers who pour into us, speak life over us, encourage us in our faith, and help us grow closer to Jesus, it brings life and transformation. These relationships are vital. God often uses others to speak to us, confirm His plans, and intercede on our behalf.

However, these relationships should never replace our personal relationship with Jesus. Having Christian friends is important, but their role is to complement—not substitute—the intimate connection we need with God.

To illustrate this further, I shifted the cups. This time, I poured water directly into the second dirty cup. It began to clear much faster than it did from just the overflow of the first.

This reminded me of an essential truth: while the overflow from others can encourage and inspire us, nothing replaces the direct, pure relationship we have with Jesus. It’s through sitting at His feet, praying, and worshiping Him that we truly grow and reflect His character. After all, how can we reflect someone we don’t know? It’s through His perfect love, grace, and mercy that we are washed clean and made whole again.

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My prayer for you today:

God, thank You for friendships and that Jesus tore the veil to allow us to enter into Your presence and know You more. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Thank You for the gift of fellowship with other believers and with You. Lord, help us to seek You more today so the overflow of what You are doing in our hearts, will pour into those around us. Help us not to overlook the importance of who we surround ourselves with in different seasons. Lord, help us not to allow our relationships with others to replace our deep relationship with You. Thank You for using everyday tasks to reveal truths. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.