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“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence.”  2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

When you’re planning to make your fave dessert no one wants to find an empty flour container.  Even worse is when you’re craving eggs for breakfast and upon opening the fridge you find an empty egg carton.   Disappointment quickly follows then frustration. Nothing satisfies when what we really want is gone.

Recovering from our hunger pains or passion for dessert will pass, but our attempts to navigate life on empty never serves us well.  We’ve all been there when rest was evasive and exhaustion was our close companion. Like an empty pitcher attempting to fill everyone’s glasses, we resort to relying on self and excuse what we really need.

Sound familiar?  It’s ever so easy to coast dependent on self because life’s too busy to recharge our souls.  Spiritual self-care gradually slides to the back burner for the sake of doing it all ourselves and figuring it out. Simply put – we’ve got this.  Not quite the way God planned for us to be filled.

Just like our physical bodies can’t exist without oxygen, our spiritual bodies can’t exist without God. Empty leaves little for us to truly give to self and others.  Best solution is to never land in the place of empty.  To consistently nurture our souls and lean into God’s wisdom positions us to navigate life with the overflow of His filling.  God isn’t looking for perfection; He’s looking for pursuit. If we seek Him, we will find Him.

Keeping it real here – what’s standing in the gap of our God filling?  What’s consuming our focus, time and energy?  Perhaps it’s time to evaluate how empty is working for us.  Remember healthy evaluation is not condemnation but information and awareness.  Asking God to remove our blinders and dependence on self opens us up to see what He already knows.

The most important relationship we will ever have is the one we have with our God.  When we read and study His word, our minds are enlightened to His truth and wisdom.  When we pull ourselves away from the chaos and noise to pray, we will experience the beauty of an intimate conversation like we’ve never  known before.  Starting our day with worship ignites our souls to the glory and wonder of the One who inspires, encourages and uplifts our focus from this world.  Memorizing and meditating on His words equips us for the battles we will face and brings to mind exactly what we need to say or do to encourage others.  Maintaining a short account of sin positions us for clarity, growth and influence.  Godly friendships and accountability is priceless.  If we genuinely want to flourish and nurture our souls, then we will welcome community.

Sweet friends, spiritual self-care isn’t optional; it’s essential. Prioritizing our relationship with God will completely fill us, and the overflow will impact the lives of those we love. Every deposit we make, every connection we maintain to Him will never result in empty.

“Father, You have birthed a deep desire within us to seek You, know You and walk in Your truth.  Nothing else ever truly satisfies like You.”  Thank You for overflowing us with Your goodness.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life