Can You Pour From an Empty Cup?

You know how they say “you can’t pour from an empty cup?” It’s mostly true - I mean, if you take the metaphor literally it’s against the laws of physics. 

Thing is, God doesn’t have to follow the laws of physics. 

There’s actually a story in the Bible about someone pouring from an empty vessel. (2 Kings 4 if you want to look it up.) There was a widow who had nothing but a jar with a little oil in it. The prophet Elisha told her to collect all the jars she could and start pouring. She filled up enough jars that the oil she sold was enough to pay all her debt. 

Her cup was empty - but God kept pouring out of it anyway.

A few days ago I read 2 Corinthians 12, where God says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” And I needed that reminder. Because I have been pretty focused lately on managing my own energy and doing all the right things to keep from burning out, and forgetting that sometimes God calls us to walk differently. I needed to be reminded that sometimes he calls me to do things even when I feel like I don’t have the capacity for them. 

PLEASE do not let your takeaway from this be “keep going and don’t rest even if you’re burned out.” The takeaway is “listen to the Holy Spirit.” If He has called you to do something, he will supply the strength for you to do it, even when you feel like you’re empty. BUT you better be sure he’s actually calling YOU to do if. 

All too often we think we’re being called to do something just because we can see that it needs to be done. So we just go full steam ahead trying to accomplish it instead of trusting that God is fully capable of getting it done with or without us. 

So how do we know the difference between the things that God will accomplish THROUGH us, regardless of our strength, and the things he will accomplish WITHOUT us? 

By knowing HIM. Which doesn’t happen overnight - it requires a constant habit of being still before God and learning to hear his voice. 

If you’re not sure where to start with that habit, I’m working on some resources for you. Make sure you’re subscribed to my email list to find out about them as soon as they’re ready!