God Uses Empty Cups
By Emily Rose Massey
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4, NASB).
A popular phrase that you hear online, especially among women, and mothers specifically, is “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” meaning you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else. This phrase is used to support the importance of self-care and “me time,” but this often becomes an ideology completely centered around self. While I am not advocating our own needs don’t matter, this should not be the mentality of a Christian because the life of a Christian is one of sacrifice, selflessness, and humility. If we wait until all areas of our life are perfectly overflowing with all that we need with no issues or problems or suffering in sight before caring for others, we will most likely never take our gaze off me, myself, and I, and we will never experience the beauty of relying upon God’s grace in the midst of our own weakness and struggles to lay down our life for another.
In Philippians chapter two, the Apostle Paul exhorts the church at Philippi to imitate Christ’s humility that led Him to obedience, even to the point of His great sacrifice on the cross (Philippians 2:8):
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4, NASB).
We, of course, can glean from this exhortation ourselves as we look to Jesus as our perfect model for the Christian life of sacrifice, selflessness, and humility.
Because He regarded others more important than Himself, Jesus stepped down from His heavenly throne, “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). If He listened to the world, He would be told He could do nothing for anyone else if He was “running on empty,” but Jesus showed us a better way to live. Although He was the God-Man, truly God and truly Man, Jesus showed us what true humility looks like, but He also showed us what a life completely dependent upon the Father looks like because the grace to pour our lives out for others comes only from Him.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
What does this way of living look like in your current season? Are you asking the Lord to give you opportunities to empty yourself even more and serve others, preferring others above yourself? One way God will conform us into the image of Christ-so that we can truly imitate Him to others- is to get us to the end of our own strength so that His strength can shine in and through us (2 Corinthians 12:9). When we are fully dependent upon God’s grace, we are showing others that we can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5).
Instead of looking for an escape from your trial, your exhaustion, your pain by trying to fill up your own “cup” with whatever the world offers us as satisfying and fulfilling, perhaps the Lord wants you to look to Him first to satisfy you and fulfill your lack and limitations. This requires us to humble ourselves before God; He gives grace to the humble after all (James 4:6).
When you feel like you are running on empty, what things do you tend to try to fill yourself up with? We are often tempted to run to worldly distractions and temporary solutions when life is difficult. Another temptation we might face is to isolate ourselves from others, but one of the most loving things we can do is become vulnerable with others about what we are struggling with- this is how the Body of Christ is able to bless each other as we meet each other’s needs. If your “cup” is empty, perhaps God wants to use someone else to help you fill it up to remind you of His truth, love, and grace all while using you to do the same for another. Do you feel like your “cup” is empty? Then let’s look to the Lord to use that “emptiness” for His glory by serving others as we point them to Him, and trusting He will fill us up with His grace and strength, conforming us to Christ’s humility day by day.
Further Reading:
Romans 12:3
Psalm 28:7
2 Corinthians 12:5-10
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Jelena990
Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a stay-at-home momma while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written Word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com
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