Psalm 23:5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
I don’t know about you, but my cup has been filled to capacity and even overflowing lately. In all honesty, it has been filled with too many of the wrong things and not enough of God! You see, this all-consuming substance called LIFE can become overwhelming, to say the least, and even quite draining at times.
Surely you can relate?!?! Life is so easily bombarded with responsibilities, burdens, jobs, education, family, friends, church, ministries, hobbies, sports, music lessons, politics, entertainment, social media, and the list goes on and on. We can get so caught up in our day-to-day activities and routines that we are full of “self” and depleted of Jesus. Indeed, as children of God, Jesus promised He will never leave nor forsake us, but we can get so busy that we leave him out of our daily lives. How tragic.
As Christians, we can experience Jesus to the fullest extent. Our cup, our heart, our life can overflow with everything Jesus is. He is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and peace. He is wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and strength. He is kind. He is holiness and righteousness. Jesus is all this and more! Who doesn’t want this kind of life?
As we make room for Christ, we then can be filled with the Spirit of God and will no longer have room for everything God is not. Have you struggled with fear, doubt, or worrying? What about hate, pride, arrogancy, wickedness, lying, envy, and jealousy? These are the opposite of who Christ is, and these ungodly traits can become part of our lives when we are not centered and filled with Jesus.
Now, that’s a different perspective. Two vastly different pictures of life. A life filled with Jesus or a life filled with self? A life filled with love or a life filled with hate? A life filled with peace or a life filled with fear? The choice is clear, although we are often stubborn in our choosing.
God gave us one life to live, and with that life, he gave us a purpose, which is to glorify Him! When we surrender our will and our ways to Him, our lives will overflow with Him, and those around us can now be touched and perhaps even changed because they see Jesus in us! Do you have precious family members, friends, co-workers, students, or neighbors who need Jesus? Of course, we all do! May we not fill up our cups with everything but Christ. There is a thirsty world that needs someone to share Jesus!
With a Christ-filled life, we can experience The True Life, Jesus Christ, living in our hearts. We can enjoy a fulfilled and purposeful life because of Christ in us. We will experience a blessed life while here on earth, and a glorious eternal life awaits us. Truly, this is a life worth living!
Sweet friend, we must daily make it a priority to get alone with God through His Word and in prayer. Fill your life with godly friends, good Christian music and movies. Even get in touch with a godly Christian lady who can encourage you, pray with and for you, even help you be accountable to grow in grace and be committed to Christ. The time is now. Be filled!
Think on These Things ~ May our lives be filled to overflowing with Jesus and not self.