If we walk around with a full glass and someone bumps into us unexpectedly, whatever is inside it will come out. The same principle also applies to our character: if we are filled with bitterness, ingratitude, envy, or jealousy, then it won’t take much of a “bump” for what is within us to overflow. Alistair Begg
When I read this earlier this week I was like, oh my goodness! This is something that I absolutely don’t want to forget. Leave it to Alistair Begg to give me a good thwack!!
As I read and re-read this statement, I kept thinking of Thanksgiving I mean the celebrations and interactions (opportunities) we will have on Thanksgiving day and even on the preparation days leading up to Thanksgiving. Then I thought, well it doesn’t end with Thanksgiving, preparations, celebrations, and interactions (opportunities) carry us right through Christmas, actually, right on through life.
Let’s take just a minute though and think of the sheer number of people we will come into contact with just between today and the end of the year. We will be “bumping” into people left and right, quite literally. It could be a bump at the grocery store when diving for the turkey, it could be a bump at our Thanksgiving celebrations while out smarting our cousins for the last piece of pumpkin pie, it could be a bump at the gas station while filling up for the Thanksgiving trip, it could be a bump at your workplace on a hectic day before the Thanksgiving four-day, it could be an all out body-slamming-jolt when Black Friday shopping. That’s a whole lot of “bumping” going on. I’m sure we could come up with hundreds of other bumps (opportunities), if we think about it. And, we should.
I love (not love) how Begg reminds us that our character is like a full glass of water. I also love (not love) how he reminds us to think about what is in our glass. I also love (not love) how he reminds us that what is in our glass, when tapped, bumped, or jolted, is going to splash out. I love (not love) how Begg gently (or not so) reminds us that we need to be careful of what we carry around, what’s in our glass, because a tiny tap could leave us trying to balance our contents and not so gracefully keep them from spilling out, which we usually aren’t successful at. We all know what that looks like. Whoaaaaaa! And once it has spilled…
“A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit. Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes. A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:43-45
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…hmmm…soooo…it is critical that we think about the kind of fruit and the resulting juice that’s in our glass (hearts). Remember, what’s in our glass will splash out.
Since you are God’s dear children, you must try to be like him. Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God. Ephesians 5:1-2
During our life-seasons, let’s keep in mind that we are children of the King, we are royalty, and royal children must have royal manners. If we fill our cups (hearts) with that which is good — love, mercy, compassion, thankfulness and humility — all things Jesus — there will be no room for “bitterness, ingratitude, envy or jealousy.” If our cups are full of good and we are controlled by love, when we are jostled or even laid flat-out, that’s what will be split-out. Let’s examine our cups and see what will be splashing out this season.