We all try to pour from an empty pitcher at times. It’s like trying to be superwoman is baked into our DNA. People ask, so we pour and we pour and we pour until we ourselves are empty. I don’t care who you are or how strong your faith walk with Jesus, you need to continually be filled. I think those with the strongest walk often fall victim to the mentality that they can do it all. You can’t. God can. God will. And He may do it through you, but only when you are filled first.

I know this is an overused analogy, but it’s like riding on a plane with a child. You will be told that if the cabin pressure fails, a mask will drop down. Counterintuitive to what you think, you are told to place the mask on you first – then the child’s. If you pass out, no one will be there to help that child. It’s an overused analogy for a reason, the truth of it. If you’re a mom or wife or business professional or ministry leader or all of the above, you need to be filled in order to fill others and to fill all the roles you are assigned in this life.

We know this, we are told this, but still we keep trying to pour without being filled. Why? Since I’ve been filled and I’ve been empty, I can only look at my own history and try to figure out why I didn’t seek to be filled.

I’ve come up with two reasons:

1) I didn’t believe that the Word of God could fill.
That was my biggest mistake and what led to my own worst seasons. No matter how many times preachers and teachers and speakers would tell me that all that I needed could be found in God’s Word, I didn’t believe them. I had tried and failed and given up. I tried, instead, to walk this thing out on my own. (I still shake my head at myself and my unbelief.) Besides the Word, I didn’t believe Jesus was enough. I kept looking for Jesus plus. I believed that other things could fill me. Always a lie. So my truest issue was belief, what I believed vs. what I didn’t believe.

2) I underestimated how vital it was to continually be filled.
I couldn’t be filled one day a week. I needed Jesus – the Word – daily. That included reading His Word, prayer, and listening. I’m not saying that we have to read ten chapters a day. I tried so many reading plans that left me frustrated. To have some predefined length of material kept me from hearing God. Or if I did sense He was speaking through a particular verse, I had to keep reading past it in order to stay on track. Now, I read whatever I feel led to read. I do keep a normal flow of reading going. Where I leave off one day, I begin the next. Some days I may read ten verses and others two. We have made this so academic that we don’t allow for the Spirit to speak and move. (Maybe more on the reading topic another day.)

The point is: You need Living Water to be pouring water.

Last week I asked you to consider yourself with sober judgment. Are you the pitcher or the glass? If you are a pitcher, this week I want you to take a look at yourself and pray. Are you running around sprinkling a droplet here and there, or are you filled and able to fill others?

Don’t worry glasses, we will get to you next week in the post: Why am I an empty glass?

Blessings to you and yours,

Lisa

 

 

 

 

This question has been on my mind recently: In relationships, am I the pitcher or the glass? Do I pour more often or expect to be filled more often? It’s a question we would all do well to ask ourselves.

While each of us need to be poured into on occasion, the fact is, we need to pour more often. Do we fill our friends and family or drain them? In Romans 12, Paul tells us to consider ourselves with sober judgment. Sadly, I don’t think most people do. It’s far easier to consider others with sober judgment and then soberly judge them. At times it’s healthy to take an inventory of who we are and how we relate to others. Are we growing spiritually (getting filled) and then pouring into others?

This is my challenge to you: Take a look at each of your closest relationships and ask the following questions:

• Do I pour into this person?
  • If yes, what do I pour? Emotional support, spiritual blessings, encouragement, unconditional love, a listening ear, etc…
  • Am I a positive influence?
  • Do I represent Jesus in this relationship?

• Am I a drain on others?
  • Do I expect their time and attention without giving back?
  • Am I a negative influence? Complaining, gossiping, or continually talking about myself?
  • Do I ask for friends to do things for me that I’m not willing to do in return?
  • Am I easily offended?

There is nothing about this exercise that’s comfortable. I think we will all find ourselves to be the pitcher and the glass at various times. But our goal is to be the pitcher more often than the glass. Pray through this. Ask God to open your eyes to your own behavior and expectations.

My goal is to be so full that when I move at all, I splash a little Jesus on the people around me. When I walk by, I want people to think maybe it’s raining. Trust me, I’m far from there, but at least I have a goal. I’m considering myself with sober judgment. That’s the only way change will take place, a reversal of unhealthy patterns in relationships.

 

Blessings to all,
Lisa

 

 

In nearly every season of my Christian walk, I can identify with someone from the Bible. God’s Word is filled with story after story of real people – not characters – who get it right and get it wrong, heroes and zeros. I think most of us can relate to many of them depending on the season of life we’re living and our level of closeness with God at the time.

At times I relate to Peter for his impetuousness and zeal. I can make a real mess of things in my passion and desire to “do” things for Jesus. Too, I am more often than not willing to walk out to meet Jesus on the water. Being Peter can be both good and bad.

I can be terrified like Gideon but willing to do things God’s way. I have struck out to places I don’t know like Abraham and “helped” God make His plan happen. I could give you at least a dozen other examples.

Over the years I have probably most related to David for various reasons – the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of him. Now, in this season, I relate to David – in a good way.

As he would pour his heart out in song, his words rising in pure worship then plummeting in despair, clearly, David knew that God was his only hope. God was David’s one desire. I’m in that place. Recently, I have been writing songs for my son Zack. I’ve known for decades that I have songs in me and from time to time have written lyrics that get tossed into a drawer. Now, though, words to songs seem to be pouring from me in a way that has completely amazed me. Maybe I should say they are being poured in so that they may be poured out.

When this began to happen back in October, I could have said, “Nope, I am a fiction writer. That’s my gig” and ignored this urging. But I didn’t. This new way in which God is using my gift of words is such a blessing to me. It’s worth learning some new things and at times getting negative feedback.

This leaves me with two questions for you:

One: What person from the Bible do you most relate to in this season and why?

Two: Do you keep yourself stuck in a fading season just because it’s too much effort to pack those winter clothes away and get out the spring ones?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

Grace and peace and songs of worship to you,
Lisa