Empty Things
It was a day of filling things up – empty things. The sugar bowl was empty when I found it with my black coffee. The sugar canister, the second place I looked, was empty too. The day required me to problem solve before I had my first cup of coffee! I filled every sugar container to the brim, added some to my cup and drank the sweetened “wake-up” liquid.
Dishes waiting on the counter to be washed (they are always waiting). No soap in the dispenser! Empty! No washing until filling. No filling until finding. Where is the soap? Rummaging through half empty bottles under the sink, I find the dish soap and fill the dispenser – washing can begin.
There are days I feel like an empty dispenser, nothing more to give, all gone. There is no filling until finding, finding Him – the only One who fills the emptied. Filling and washing, He does both. It is when I am empty, completely empty, that God pours the best inside. Not from a half empty bottle, but from Himself. Like the waiting dishes, He waits; waits for me to empty out of myself so He can fill me with something better – His Spirit. When I am trying to live on empty, in my own strength, it doesn’t take long to become weary, tired, stressed, and feeling like old dry bones. But when He fills me, I have power that is not my own…power to love, have joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
I don’t like finding things empty, especially the sugar bowl when I need coffee. But God is different, He wants me to start every day emptied out (of myself), not so I can walk around empty, but so He can fill me with those good and perfect things from His Spirit. Things I can’t accomplish in my own strength.
“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:11
Are you in need of filling today?
Charlotte
Lovely post.
Amen to that, Charlotte. I do need my daily fill with His Spirit; otherwise I feel empty and don’t seem to get my thoughts together.