Hi how are you all today? I have not been well but am on the mend now. I think my body was just run down from all the mental load of the last few months. Have you ever felt like that?
It seems fitting then that this blog is on time to fill up. If we are honest, most of us go through our days on half empty and same days even toward empty.
Most of us can’t change our schedules much as work still needs to happen as does caring for our homes and families and nurturing our relationships. So in all this busyness, how then do we fill up?
One way is by having a day a week where we can rest. Rest may look different to different people. It may be staying home, going to the beach or getting out into nature. You need to find out what that looks like for you and your family. I like staying home and resting as that is one way I recharge.
The next thing we need to do is ask ourselves- am I spending time with God? Most of us feel nearly empty because we haven’t been tending to our relationship with God. This happens to me. I don’t spend enough time in prayer because other things have filled my night. These things are not necessarily bad but they are adding weights to my life that I don’t need. Even though they are weighty they are leaving my life feeling empty.
I really need to remind myself of what Hebrews 12: 1-2 in the Message Bible states:
12 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins
It is time to strip those things off and fill our lives up with something that will sustain us.
In 2 Kings 4, there is a story of a widow and her two sons. The creditors whom her husband owed a debt too was coming to take her two boys as slaves. This widow was living a nearly empty life. All she had was a jar and a little oil.
Sometimes this is how we can feel. Our reserves are depleted and all we feel like we have is a little bit of Gods presence left from church on Sunday.
The widow spoke to the prophet and he told her to get every empty jar in her entire village. She was then to lock the door and start pouring that oil into the jars.
It is time for us to do that too. We need to go back to that quiet space with no distractions, pray in tongues and allow the Holy Spirit to fill our empty lives up once again. This is not a one off thing though.
As the widow poured the oil, she filled all the jars. Once our jar is full, that is not the end of the story as the jar doesn’t stay full. As we go about our day and spread the love of God everywhere we go, our jar can again become empty.
Like the manna in the desert, our lives need daily filling with the Holy Spirit.
Jude 20-21 in the Message Bible states:
20-21 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!
This is the way to keep ourselves filled. Is it time for you to fill up? It is definitely time for me to fill up. Will you join me?
Bless you and keep living the life God intended.
Karen
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