Articles
Filling Up Our Cup
When was the last time you were stressed out and frustrated? This beautiful world we live in is sometimes going to feel like one giant burden that is intent on making us suffer. No matter how invigored people may feel on the inside, our bodies become fragile with age. People labor to survive and be dependable. Yet, it can seem like every other person in the world is determined on stopping us from getting to work on time. Every one wakes up not knowing whether disease, death, natural disasters or none of the above will come that day.
God created a world where we age because if we never died then we wouldn’t get to be with Him in Heaven. The traffic that pains us in the moment is also a reminder that we aren’t alone in our struggles. Every person we come across in our lives is an opportunity to remember how dependent we are on each other. If this world wasn’t full of pain, then how could we truly appreciate our blessings? The greatest of which is being able to rely on God.
In order to spread God’s light into the world effectively as His children, it is important that we take care of ourselves. With following an example like Jesus, it can be tempting to feel like we must be giving ourselves 100% to others, 100% of the time. Jesus cared for others, but He also took the time to care for His own body, mind, and spirit. Before calming the storm in Matthew 8, Jesus is sleeping and giving His body rest. Jesus recognized the importance of nourishing the physical body with food. In John 21:9-14 (ESV), Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples for the third time since His resurrection. He met them by the sea of Tiberias saying, “come and eat breakfast.”
When Jesus’ name was spreading at the start of His ministry, great crowds would gather around to hear Him. However, Luke 5:16 (ESV) says, “he would withdraw to desolate places to pray.” Most importantly Jesus acknowledged that a person needs time away from others to collect their mind and make sure their spirit is aligned with God. Jesus acknowledged that physical bread isn’t enough to nourish a person fully. As we walk through this world with God as His children, we should make sure that our perspectives match His (Col. 3:1-4). When someone asks, “how are you doing?” Almost immediately our reply tends to be “good” without regard for how we truly are doing. There are many reasons why we can respond with this reply, but regardless of the situation we should let others help us as much as we are taught by God to help them (Galatians 6:1). In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus is telling the weary in this world to seek rest and peace in Him. Are you willing to heed Jesus’ example to take care of yourself and embrace the love of God that truly fills all?
