Are You the Drinker or the Pourer?

One of my first times to 'fill-the-pulpit', the title of my inspiration was "How Do You See Your Cup?".  And with school, sports, church, and bible study back in full swing, I find myself feeling half-empty most evenings. So I am totally going to cheat this week and share with you something I wrote almost a year ago and shared with my congregation.  I hope you enjoy it!

In researching if the cup is half empty or half full, I found several opinions:

It doesn't matter, there is clearly room for more wine!

Half Air, Half Water - Technically the glass is always full.

Half Empty or Half Full?  Who Cares?  Fill it up and enjoy!

I never look at the glass half empty or half full.  I see it as a Work In Progress that will inevitably go either way.  It is not about how full or empty the glass is, but rather, what will you fill it with?  Are you filling it with things of this world that leave you feeling empty?  The things of this world are neither permanent or fulfilling, it is constant cycle evaporating out of your cup.  We keep adding to it, but there is no permanency, each day, the volume depletes a little more, and we go back and try to fill it back up.  

On the other hand, if we are filling it with something more eternal, say prayer, scripture, devotion, fellowship with others, our most precious Father...there will always be something in the cup.  And the more you allow Him to be poured into you, the fuller your cup will be, over-flowing.  

Is the cup half full or half empty?  It depends on whether you are pouring or drinking...So I need you to be visual with me here, like High-School Chemistry visual.  What would see in your spiritual cup? What have we been drinking in?  And just as important - What are we pouring in the cup of others?  It is fair to say that we can not give what we do not have...I can not pour lemonade into your cup if all I have is hot chocolate.  

Galatians 5:22-23 lists the Fruits of the Spirit and so let's put them into cups.  We have a Cup of Love, a Cup of Joy, one of Patience, one of Kindness (Yes!), one of Goodness, one of Faithfulness, a Cup of Gentleness, and a Cup of Self-Control (e-gads!).  Most of us are a "Work in Progress" and have all different levels of any one of these tasty fruits.  Sooooo...What is in your cup?  I can tell you that in my cup, there is very little Patience.  I am going to have a hard time pouring that into your cup, because, well, I simply tend to struggle here - I try, but, school supplies, empty gas tanks, bills, lines at Wal-Mart, the price of groceries - Who's with me?  On the other hand, I feel like my cup of Kindness could be poured for days, I am so incredibly fond of Kindness.  

We have to be aware of who we are around, who can fill our cup?  Are we hanging out with negative people that fill it with complaints, all the while depleting our cup of Joy?  What about people who lack Faith?  When you are with them, does your cup sit empty for days, does your Faith start to evaporate?  Or do you use that time to pour your Faith into them?  All about chemistry...

It doesn't matter if the glass is half empty or half full...Be grateful you have a glass and there is something in it.  I am thankFULL that I can admit I have a shallow cup of Patience because I always have something to talk to God about.  

This opinion also makes me think of the musicians that play on the street.  And I wonder if at the end of the day, it isn't what is in the cup, but the the fact that anything at all is in there is what means something.  They made an impact on someone that day and both parties have a full cup.  1 Corinthians 14:7-9 If musical instruments...aren't played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music?  If the trumpet call can't be distinguished, will anyone show up for the battle?

Bob Goff  - God isn't worried whether the cup is half full or half empty.  He wonders which thirsty person we will give it to?  It isn't just who we are around that influences the volume in our cup...it is also what we do for those that have no cup.  Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, "Truly I say to you, as you did it ton one of the lease of these my brothers, you did it to me."

People, we do not fill our cup to brag about it, to say "my cup is fuller than your cup".  It is going to evaporate or else your pride is going to knock it over and spill it.  Have you ever spilled your dinner drink? Raise your hand!  Just last week?!  What do we do?  We run and grab a towel to soak it all back up.  And someone (usually the momma) is irritated that you wasted a perfectly good beverage.  So now try and picture wringing all that liquid back into your cup.  What used to be full to the brim (because we can never quite knock over an empty cup), might get you a swallow.  There is no fulfillment for the drinker or the pourer...what a waste.

How many of us are doing that with God's blessings?  We are so proud of the talent He has given us, but sometimes, we don't want to share.  Or maybe we become so proud, we don't want to help someone else for fear that they might actually do it better than us?  And one day, the Joy you received from your talent has evaporated, it no longer exists.  1 Corinthians 10:12 & 16 Don't be so naive and self-confident.  You are not exempt.  You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else.  Forget about self-confidence; it's useless.  Cultivate God confidence.  When we drink the cup of blessing, aren't we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ?...

We MUST not give up on each other - not our friends, our family, our church family, our community - we must continually seek opportunities to fill each other's cups with the Fruits of the Spirit.  More importantly, we must NEVER give up on God.  No matter how empty it may seem our cup is, it is never too late to realize it and start pouring.  Sometimes I have to continually renew my cup of Patience while God works on my heart or the heart of others.  I have to take a little sip and give it over to Him in prayer.  

What is in your cup today?  What would you like to be in your cup?  My cup of honesty says most days it is easier to fill my cup with wine over patience.  (Can I get an AMEN?!)  Wow...what are we filling other's cups with?  What do we wish we were filling it with?  It is NEVER too late to make it right.

God loves each and everyone of us - with our empty cups, our full cups, our crazy concoctions that we struggle with day-in and day-out.

Luke 6:38 Give and it will be given to you.  they will pour into your lap a good-measure.  Pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

And you bet Psalm 23:5 - My cup overflows with your blessings!  AMEN!

**Have a blessed and safe Labor Day my friends!**