From an empty cup

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Those are popular words from many self care books. Those are true words. “You must look within, see what needs healed, and love yourself before you can give out to others” are things worldly self care will teach you. You can spend a lifetime trying to fill your cup that way and it never reach overflow. The world will take and you will say “Wait! My cup isn’t full yet! I’m still thirsty! I need that for me right now! Stop taking from me!!” Me, me, me!! Do you see the problem here?

Ok, so, if we can’t pour from an empty cup then how do we fill it to overflow?

You pour God’s word into your heart. You learn His truth, love, light, and promises. You read about His love for you that is so great it makes you able to love others.

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1John 4:10-11

The more you study the more you understand. The more you understand the more love you feel. The more love you feel the more your cup overflows.

“But 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.”
John 4:14

Then you know your source is true. Your source becomes your treasure. What you give out comes from your overflow of God’s love.

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45

Your healing and self love come from the source that made you. Your value no longer comes from the world or how the world treats you. The temporary suffering in this world no longer restricts your gratitude or your ability to give.

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:3-5

You learn through scripture, praise, and worship that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are ever with you. Fighting your battles. Nothing you endure is ever in vain and God will always see you through.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Psalm 23:5

Trust in Him

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Trust in Him. How do you find joy and peace even when all things around you are spinning out of control? Trust in Him. Is this always easy, no. It gets faster though. The peace comes quicker each time you remember to Trust in Him. A new habit is formed and instead of drowning in the sea, you reach out and grab Jesus’ hand. Trials in life are not a test. It is endurance training. It creates muscle memory for your heart. The storm rages…how quick will you go back to your training and Trust in Him. You’ll train until it is an automatic response and then you’ll train some more to keep the endurance you have gained. Through this training you find peace and joy. So much so that it makes hope overflow from you to others. So, let things spin out of control. You were never in control to begin with. Stand up, throw your arms out and spin around in joy! You have the Holy Spirit as your personal trainer. The cost? Just believe…and…Trust in Him.

The monster in me

A couple years ago I kept a journal. Well, I loosely kept a journal. When I felt overwhelmed with thoughts battling in my head then I would write it down. One entry I wrote that I just wanted God to transform the monster in me. I remember how I felt when I wrote that. I felt so far behind. I had such an ache in my heart for realizing how wrong I had been living my life. Part of me thought that living blindly felt better because I didnt have this realization back then. I felt scared because, what if I couldnt change? What if I had gone too far and I was too damaged? No matter how I felt I forced myself to push forward. I prayed for the strength to push forward. I stood away from the crowd for a minute and focused on my relationship with God. I focused on being obedient as best I could. I soaked up church, sermons, bible study like never before, and for a while that was all I listened to. Change started to appear. Sometimes I felt like I had leaped over a wide river. Other times I felt like I was barely shuffling an inch at a time. Im overjoyed to say God has transformed the monster in me. I will always have work to do. I will always pray for God to keep me on the potter’s wheel. But that ache in my heart? It’s gone. Love has taken its place. I want that love to grow and overflow onto EVERYONE I meet. I dont know what your journey will be but I know someone out there is ready to start. I pray for you, with you and about you. Happy trails, friend! The road ahead is glorious!

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
2 Thessalonians 3:5