"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:19
As I was preparing to write this devotion my mind was going back to my to-do lists, my responsibilities, my goals and desires of what I would like to accomplish in a timely manner this year, just like everyone else I know. If we think too much about what needs to get done, we can stagger under the weight of it all, not just what we have to do but the people who are depending on us to get it done. Sometimes we have so many cups to fill that we are like an endless pouring pitcher.
Now my life has really slowed down over the last ten years or so. I am a housewife/empty nester, so no, I don't have the demands of raising children keeping me busy anymore, but there have been other things to take their place which is fine, actually better than fine. I am not at all complaining; I feel blessed to have cups to fill at all and blessed in the attempt to fill them.
What we must attend to is not so much the importance of filling the cups but of replenishing the pitcher. So this is a reminder to all of us to stay filled, to remain connected to our source, and to refill before we run dry. In an effort to do and be for everyone else, we often put ourselves last, thinking we can take care of ourselves later, that as long as everyone else is good, we will be good too.
In the busyness of feeding our children halfway healthy meals, we grab something on the go, whatever we can hold with one hand and drive with the other will do. We fall into bed late when you promised yourself an earlier bedtime. Your schedule is so full you forget to make a date night with your husband. You have put off making that important check up with your doctor that you promised yourself you would make at the first of the year and here half the year is gone. Your struggling to find just a moment of downtime during the day to spend time with the Lord.
Taking care of ourselves and refilling our tanks is not a luxury. It's just like gas in the car; it will not run if we allow the gas to run out. It sputters and stalls; ultimately leaving us stranded, on the side of the road, out in nowhere land.
"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Rom. 15: 13)
Making time to take care of ourselves is essential so that we don't sputter and stall, and become stranded out in the desert, or worse, in the middle of a busy intersection. We must check in with ourselves, notice our level of fuel and connect to the only One who can fill us with exactly what we need to be able to press on.
When the Lord feels us with His joy and peace and hope we can return to our spouses and children and work and feel replenished and rejuvenated to make a more fulfilling offering of love by being able to pour into them from our overflow. We can do for others throughout the day and not reach empty because we are starting from a place of fullness.
"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)
Any message of health and well-being is best delivered by people whose pitchers are diligently and lovingly filled by God, and what better way to serve Him than to serve others.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. (Ps. 23:5)
I love you & He loves you more!
Lord, You long for us to come to You and be filled. Filled by Your goodness and grace You so freely give. May we be more obedient to offer our time to sit and be filled by the fuel that never runs dry so that we can in turn fill others with our overflow. I love You. In Jesus' name. Amen.