Everything in the world was created for a purpose. What is the purpose of a cup? I guarantee you’ll never look at a cup the same way again after reading this!
(This is the full length of a shorter post I shared on an Instagram page where I am a contributor: @empoweringchristianwomen_. Follow it for your daily inspirations!)
As I was meditating on God’s Word recently, I thought about a cup and what it’s purpose is in relation to us and our faith. We always hear references to cups like “Is the cup half full or half empty?”; or even “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” The purpose of a cup is to pour substance into it or to be filled up with something. Take some time and think about a cup that is empty and one that is full. We all want our cups to be full right? What we usually don’t think about is WHAT it is being filled with.
If a cup is full of oil, tar, or mud for example, would you drink it? Of course not because it’s dirty! What if it was cream or juice? It is drinkable, but still dirty because once it’s poured out you see the stains it leaves behind. What if it was water, would it be clean once poured out? Absolutely! True water is pure and without residue to be left behind!
Imagine that cup represented your life/body. If your cup is dirty with fear, sickness, anger, depression, addiction, adultery, foul language, etc. It will not bless you. Also, no one else may want to drink from it because what you’re offering is not appealing or helpful.
But when you either empty it or allow God to clean it, he pours his clean and pure water into it. S L O W L Y, whatever was making it dirty starts to become diluted. You start to see the change happening inside that cup and all the dirt starts spilling out of it. Eventually it is clean and filled with drinkable, healthy water! I say slowly because a few drops won’t clean it, but a continued pouring of the water will.
God wants to be the water that will be poured into your cup! Removing all of your fears, addictions, hatred, sickness etc. It is not a day spent in his Word nor worship that will do it but daily delving into his Word, and daily worshipping and praising. The more time you spend with God, the more time he has to pour into your cup.
“…Some things are used for special purposes, and others are made for ordinary jobs. All who make themselves clean from evil will be used for special purposes. They will be made holy, useful to the Master, ready to do any good work.”- 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NCV)
Now, what if the cup was EMPTY? An empty cup is ok if it’s ready to be filled with good things, but remaining empty isn’t useful and can be very dangerous. As I mentioned earlier, the purpose of a cup is to fill it with something so that you may use it. If it’s not being filled with good, eventually it will be filled with unwanted things, because it has to serve a purpose regardless.
God wants to be the one to fill your cup. Not only that, but he wants it to OVERFLOW. A cup that is so full that it overflows is considered an abundance. When your cup is overflowing, you naturally want to pour some out and into another container. That is why the more you allow God in, the more he will fill you up and you will see the need to pour some of your blessings, talent, knowledge, wisdom etc. into another person/people, because there is so much to share.
“…You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”- Psalm 23:5 (ESV)
What I love about God is that the more you share what’s in your cup, he will continue to pour more into it so that you stay abundant and never lacking. Jesus said in John 10:10 (ESV) “I came so that they may have life and have it abundantly”. This is what God wants for us! Never forget that the enemy wants to fill that cup also with depression, hatred, fear, addiction etc. If there are unwanted things in your cup, then go to God and ask him to pour himself into your cup. He will do it, but you must stop allowing other things to be poured in, and let God be the one doing the pouring.
Your obedience will allow you to be the blessing that you were intended to be, and you will never lack in anything! Even if there was a temporary drought, you will always have something in your cup. I feel grateful and blessed knowing that. Don’t you?
Questions to think about: Who are you allowing to fill your cup? What kind of life are you living? What are you pouring into someone else?
“Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts.” – Luke 6:45 (NCV)
If you’ve been inspired or blessed by reading this, pour it into someone else and share it! You never know who needed to hear that specific word.
With Love,
