Measuring Cup of Life
(Ephesians 3:16-19) “I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Have you ever rummaged through the pantry looking for something to eat, you fix a sandwich –eat it and find that it did not satisfy your hunger. So you look around some more, nuke a pizza, eat a slice—nah, that isn’t it either. Tubs of Rocky Road (and a hand full of mini marshmallows) ice cream later, loads of Tums for the displeased belly and still you are no more satisfied than when in the beginning.
We tend to live life-like that. We aren’t satisfied with our life. Thus, we begin our search.
Those of us “holics” and I believe that would include us all…Just plug in our own addiction or if we would prefer–something we do in excess or where we are lacking moderation.
- Do you shop too much (how many pairs of red shoes can one person need?),
- Serve the church for adoration rather than out of love,
- Are you constantly blaming others,
- Worship money or spending it on things and
- Leaving bills unpaid, anger problems,
- Can’t eat enough and don’t take care of your body (are you overweight), do you have an eating disorder,
- Are you someone with a drinking problem or a problem with drugs –as in my case.
- And yes, even with all this technology of Blackberries and Iphones they have caused a new breed of greed of its’ own evil generation.
Work—this hits home to most all of us, we are so wrapped up in our work—it defines us—it gives us our acceptances…it is our life and self-worth. People are at times driven to a career because of whom they will become not the life they will serve. The consequences of this can and usually will be very grave.
Our world has become a world of excess– Nothing we do is done in moderation any longer. *All excess is rooted in emptiness. We were born with a need and desire to fill our physical body, soul and spirit with something and that something is Jesus Christ.
*Imagine starting each day with a 16 oz. measuring cup. We fill it up in the morning about 2 oz. full of wonderful succulent fresh squeezed orange juice. But the rest of the day, we spend seeking someone to fill the remainder of our cup.
Had we started out the day with the full cup, we would not have the need to “suck the life or juice” from others to fill the remnants of our cup. And I can say with great confidence that whatever I gather into my cup will not be as wonderful as what I started my day with for it will most likely be someone else’s left over’s and not God’s best.
Lessons I have learned:
So, I now must renew my mind and let go of all the junk and the stinking thinking (Romans 12:2)! There will always be people, situations and circumstances that just happen. We can’t change that. And maybe that is a good thing! Deep down I knew I couldn’t anyway. I’ve tried that and well, it doesn’t work.
But I can change me.
I can let the SON shine in on me each morning so that I can hold out my cup up and say, fill it to the brim with Him.
When I am empty, I want to fill that gnawing hunger pain. Depending on my emptiness, determines what I fill in place of that hunger. And depending on what I fill that emptiness with will determine what controls my life. It is then according to the controls installed as a byproduct of these situations of circumstances of my life that will now become the produce of my life.
Good …
Bad…
It doesn’t matter because I am no longer in control…the paradox of it all.
Today, I am letting go (again) …
*Some examples taken from Beth Moore’s Measureless Love DVD guide
Beautifully Awkward
Her Broken wing 
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