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We Cannot Give from Emptiness

We went to a Thursday service at Youth With a Mission last night.  It was a rather raucous event, with music louder than comfortable for our ears, in a room full of people young enough to be our own children. A visiting missionary from Taiwan spoke to us from the Bible.

It was food to our hungry souls.

There we stood, the preacher and his wife, absorbing music and truth, without having to contribute to the night. We just filled ourselves up with the goodness of who God is. We sang loudly and took in the words of truth that satisfied the emptiness inside of us.

This morning I woke up and sat for a long time with a blank notebook in my lap, trying to decide what truth I could bring to you from God’s word that would be meaningful to life.

I looked at the blank page and knew I had nothing to give to you in the way of words, unless I had received something myself.

Unless I had sung to the Lord and read the Bible and prayed.

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.  (Psalm 9:1 NIV)

How can we tell of God’s wonders until we have smiled at the discovery of them ourselves?

You need to take care of that emptiness inside of you.  -christyfitzwater.com

The most selfless thing we can do for other people today is to take time for our own souls. It seems selfish to get alone with the Lord, and I say this mostly as a mom and a pastor’s wife. You know, moms and pastor’s wives are supposed to give and give and give. They don’t waste time on themselves.

But we can’t give anything when we’re empty.

What’s your daily plan to spend some time with the Lord?