Brown Sugar

We were doing our morning devotional this morning, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the translation they used on a well-known verse, Luke 6:38… it said,
“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

…for with the measure you use… I couldn’t help but envision my left hand holding a tablespoon, and my right holding a 2 cup measuring glass (or better yet the Pampered Chef 4-cup’er one). If someone was offering me something good and tasty, would I prefer to have just a pinch? Or a handful! The answer is obvious.

Then we continued to search out the same scripture…and we came across the New Living Translation, saying,
“If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving large or small it will be used to measure what is given back to you."

…pressed down…to make room for more…this time, I thought of a recipe calling for brown sugar. How do we measure brown sugar? It’s lumpy, and soft, and it doesn’t measure evenly. We have to PRESS IT DOWN, and MAKE ROOM FOR MORE.

Am I liberal enough in my thoughts/words/actions toward others that my generosity has to be pressed down, continually making room for more generosity? I want to love others abundantly, to give substantially, and to using the biggest possible measuring glass.