Scheduled to Death!

If We are Already Full, then how can God fill Us?

Recently I was talking with some of the people here at Bethany about life and how unsatisfied we are with our Christian walk. We talked about how we very rarely cause a stir in the world around us like the early Christians did. How it seemed like where ever they went, riots, crowds, and publicity followed, but the same is not true for us. For a couple hours, this conversation was going on and the whole time I was wondering why it is that my life is not like theirs. God reminded me of a lesson He showed me a couple weeks ago as I ministered to a friend. Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk by the Spirit.” We cannot walk in the Spirit unless we are constantly being filled with God. He cannot fill us if we are already full.
It reminded me of an object lesson I had seen at my church several years ago. The pastor took a large jar full of sand and tried to put a jar of ping pong balls into the jar with the sand. Of course it didn’t work. Then the pastor reversed the process and poured the jar of sand into the jar of ping pong balls. Though it was the same amount of stuff in the same amount of space, this time everything fit. He told that if we put the big stuff (aka God) first, all the smaller stuff will fall into place.
At Bethany, it is so easy to fill your life completely up with good things. Things that are God ordained, but not God Himself. It is easy to fill our thoughts with regrets or longings for the past and understandable to have plans for the future. It is entirely possible to not get any sleep trying to do all the things that we feel God would have us to do and still keep up with homework, etc. These are mostly good, necessary things like Martha preparing dinner for Jesus and His followers. All the time, though, He is just longing for us to sit at His feet. To put Him first and let all the little things fall into place around Him. God wants to fill us with Himself so that we can go out and cause riots (not on purpose of course). Instead we’re often too full trying to operate in His name to have room for Him to fill us. I feel Him calling me to empty myself of the good stuff, so that He can fill me with Himself. Do you?

This post was written by Hannah, a new student here at BCOM whose heart beats strongly for the advancement of the Gospel, the changing of lives by Christ, and the passionate devotion of a true Christ follower.