Use My Life As An Infuser by Influencers Women - Mid South Leader Roberta Hoppe

Our Journey group is currently talking about the discipleship, pruning, deepening and sifting process as outlined in the lessons and explained in Rocky’s book, Abide.

One of the verses listed to look at for further understanding is 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit. “

As I was seeking wisdom in this passage, this is what I wrote:

‘Unveiled faces’ implies a transparency before the Lord and before others. It implies an openness to Jesus to let Him transform me, show me my errors, drive me back to Him again and again. For me to be like Him is only possible by the process of His Spirit infusing in and through me His characteristics. Some of those wonderful characteristics are found in Galatians 5 and listed as the fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, forbearance (long-suffering or patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Other verses add righteousness and truth and in Philippians 4, we are to think about these things: what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy. These characteristics are but a taste of all the good things that our Lord is.

An illustration came to me regarding this process (I am a visual person, so anything that I can do to relate spiritual truths to the physical world helps me to understand the process.)

Think of a popular item today- an oil infuser. Water and oil are combined within an infuser and then a mist of the mixture is infused through the infuser into the air.

I become a sort of infuser. We could consider Jesus as providing the water. He indeed says that He gives us living water: He said in John 4:10: “If you knew the gift of God and Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water. (13) Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The Holy Spirit provides the oil: consider all the verses in scripture mentioning oil. It is used in offerings, for light, for fragrance, anointing, healing, lubrication, can signify thankfulness, joy and abundance.

“But you have an anointing from the Holy one, and all of you know the truth.” 1 John 2:2

I become a vessel to be filled with the water and the oil.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Cor 4:7

“How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!” Lam 4:2

“She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.” 2 Kings 4:5

“The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.” Matt 25:4

I am the vessel to be filled and then infused to the world around me. I can’t infuse anything if I’m not filled by abiding in Christ first so He can fill me with His living water. Also, by abiding, the Spirit is able to do His transforming work in me by providing the oil of His anointing. The combination can be used of God to fill the environment around me with His fragrance and influence.

For my Application, I wrote: In order for me to reflect the Lord’s glory and be transformed into His likeness with ever- increasing glory, I must be abiding in Christ, be in His Word, and be in prayer, reflection and meditation before Him.

My prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the richness of Your grace and mercy and for the depth of Your Word. Your Word is so deep and full of love. I’m astounded by the bubbles of truth, kindness, joy and majesty that flow out of just one verse of Scripture. You are an unending Source. I praise You for showing me a slight but amazingly full portion of a heavenly meal through Your Word. Use my life as an infuser today and every day. Make Your impact upon the world as You fill me with Your water and Your Spirit today. I then can say, “But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” 2 Cor 2:14