“Where life is messy the Spirit most often leads to joyfully empty your life of love.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 1, 2023
If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Philippians 2:17
Writing to the church in Philippi, Paul reminds his family of faith of the joy it brings him to pour out his life on their behalf for God’s glory. Modeling the words of Jesus, Paul was willing to lay down his life to lift up fellow believers with faith, hope, and love in the Lord. Death was not a terror to this child of God because he deeply trusted in the One who had conquered death and who would ultimately take Paul home in His timing. Death to Paul was a passage to paradise with Jesus…not the end, but the beginning. Like Abraham’s son…his life was offered to God.
A righteous rhythm regularly occurs in the life of genuine Jesus followers…emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit…emptied of pride, and filled with a humble heart. A life full of love is poured out to hearts longing for love. Spirit-led to love those with whom you come into contact…the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because you are being poured out in worship as an offering to God, He will draw others to Himself. Your sacrifice and service are your reasonable service, as Paul describes in Romans 12…resulting in the knowledge of God’s will. Capacities vary, so the volume of love that fills one life looks different from another. You empty your cup.
“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.” (2 Timothy 4:5-6)
God calls you to empty your cup of love to fill up another life with love. Make it your goal to be emptied without concern about other smaller or larger cups in your community. One, five, or ten talents…all are worthy of worship to the Lord in generous living…service and sacrifice. A life poured out with pure intent is not seeking the approval of people as an ego boost but rather serving an audience of One to hear a gentle affirming, “well done.” Oswald Chambers calls out wrongly and rightly motivated service, “You may say, I want certain people to watch me and say, ‘Well done.’ It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but if the road marked out for you requires becoming a ‘doormat’ under other people’s feet, God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, ‘I know how to be abased….’” (Philippians 4:12).
So, examine your pouring out of self to confirm it’s a sacrifice of love for God and others and not a sacrifice to satisfy a guilty conscience or expand a deflated ego. Rather, embrace being poured out in love, even if you never hear “well done” from someone, but in your heart and mind, you sense God’s pleasure. You are secure in knowing you have done what you could. You have a little bit of time, a little bit of resources, and a little bit of influence to be used on behalf of those who don’t…their cup is empty of love and filled with pain, candidates for your care. Where life is messy the Spirit most often leads to joyfully empty your life of love.
“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4-6, NLT).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, pour into me your Spirit of love, so I might pour out my life of love into other empty hearts, through Christ’s love, and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Related Reading
Isaiah 53:12; Luke 22:20; Acts 10:45; 1 Corinthians 15:10
Worship Resource
We Will Worship: Like Oil
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