Top Down

Everything in our world seems to be in a top-down orientation.

Think about it. Water flows down, because of gravity. In fact, in areas that are higher, a greater potential energy exists, pressing on that water (remember that gravity stores potential energy: the higher you are, the more potential you have to fall). In areas that are lower, a lesser potential energy exists, pressing on the water. Because this water flows from high areas to lower areas, so that there is less energy pressing on it, the water achieves a pseudo equilibrium. Though to be truly equalized, the water would need to be at the very center of the gravitational force (which is where it is TRYING to go when it flows downhill).

Similarly, warm and cold fronts interact with each other. In a lava lamp, for example, hot wax rises to the top of the lamp, having increased it's energy. It has a lot of warmth (and energy) and therefore wanting to become cool again (and lose energy). By removing itself from the heat source (because warm objects are less dense than cold ones), it becomes cool again and falls back towards the heat source. As it falls, it becomes warm again, and rises again. The heat is always moving to cooler areas in order to achieve equilibrium.

Electricity always flows from a negatively charged area to a positively charged area. Why? Because a negatively charged area has an abundance of electrons... and positively charged areas do not have an abundance of protons, but rather a shortage of electrons. The electrons in negative area flow to a positive area to achieve equilibrium... by adding electrons to the positive and subtracting from the negative. It's like having a glass that is full and a glass that is empty... pour out the one into the other and you get two half-full glasses.

I believe that everything in our world represents a facet of our relationship with our God. He didn't create things arbitrarily; there is always a 'why' behind it! So, seeing these patterns made me wonder... why does everything seem to flow from areas of high concentration (be it energy, heat, electrons, whatever) to areas of low concentration? There must be a reason! 

You know, God has a lot of stuff. Not tangible things, - though He can grant those to us as well - but He has a lot of love and grace and mercy and patience to give. Not to mention the faithfulness and goodness and all the things that make our God Himself! It's not just that our God loves us, but it's that He loves us with a love that won't end, ever, because HE HAS SO MUCH OF IT. He's an area of high concentration... infinitely so.

What about us? Well, for lack of a better way to phrase this, we are areas of low concentration. That is, we have been given the ability to act, in most capacities, in ways that God is able to - by giving love, grace, mercy, etc. - but in an infinitely smaller magnitude. Our love is NOT infinite, and it is certainly conditional. Our faith falters, our strength wearies, and our patience runs dry. We simply cannot sustain a constant outpouring of ourselves.

So, it is from God that we derive our strength and love and faith! It is Him that sustains us; a top-down relationship. His infinitely large concentration of love and mercy flows down to meet our needs; our low concentration. Without Jesus sustaining us, we would have nothing left after just a few shorts moments of exertion!

We receive from God directly, through His word, through praise and worship, or through prayer. He can move in our lives in many different ways, but He does promise one thing: that He WILL move.

"Those who trust in the Lord WILL renew their strength; they WILL soar on wings like eagles; they WILL run and not grow weary; they WILL walk and not grow faint." - Isaiah 40:31

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I WILL give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

"For if we have died with Him, we WILL also live with Him." - 2 Timothy 2:11

All three of these verses are certain. There is no 'maybe' about them, because in every case, God has the strength, or the rest, or the life, to give to us when we need it. He doesn't run out, for He is infinite! Even if we run dry, He promises to restore; when we ask from Him, we can ask in boldness because He can do what we ask... and so much more! He has so much to give, and will never run out. The delimiter on His giving is your own faith. 

If you ask Him, He will give to you. But the magnitude of the prayer also dictates the magnitude of the response! God, of course, can choose to answer any prayer request negatively, but I'm learning to ask more and more boldly from Him. It requires faith to know that He CAN pull through, and it requires surrender to place it all in His hands. By praying boldly, we are actually submitting more and more to His will, and aligning ourselves with Himself. He'll accomplish His plan with our without us, but we have the opportunity to jump on that train, ya know?

Trust that because God has so much, and we have so little, He will give to us. He designed our world to work this way; why wouldn't it apply to Him as well? Everything seems to flow from top-down. Everything tries to reach an equilibrium, and here's the awesome part: we will never be equal with God!! Why is that awesome? Because there will ALWAYS be an imbalance, and therefore, there will ALWAYS be His hand and His outpouring in our lives. His supply of what we need to us won't stop, no matter what, because He'll always have more than us! 

Don't forget to #LiveItLikeJesus and share some of your own surplus - time, money, love, patience, etc. - with those that don't have as much. Keep the top-down flow going! This way, everyone can be touched with a little bit of Jesus everyday! God bless.