What’s In That Cup?

One morning I bumped my arm and was so thankful my cup of coffee wasn’t full. If it had been, I would have been cleaning up coffee. And here we have our spiritual analogy. 

Isn’t it best to want a full cup, spiritually speaking? It depends on what’s in the cup. What we are filled with is what will splash out when life hits hard or jostles us. If we are filled with bitterness, that will splash out. If we are filled with anger, contempt, pride, arrogance, or self-seeking – those things will overflow when the jarring comes. We will find ourselves having to clean up a mess.

But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, there will be no need to call for clean up!  In fact, trials will work for the good of us and others, because what will spill out is His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) I would love to think that when someone “runs into us” that is what they get. And in Christ, that is the plan. If those things are not filling and spilling out of us, as believers, something is wrong. It should be the norm, not the exception.

“You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.” 

Psalm 23:5