Maybe Your Bucket is Empty~

Several years ago,
as I sat in Children's Church,
surrounded by precious little hearts,
we talked about our world
and the all too often
missing ingredient,
kindness.

We talked about bullies
and what it feels like
to live in a world
where kindness
is hard to find.

"Why do you suppose 
people are mean?" I asked.
"Why are there bullies?"

Without thinking twice, 
a five year old girl blurted out, 
"Maybe their bucket is empty."

"Their bucket is empty?" I inquired further.

"Yes. Maybe they are mean 
because they ran out of nice. 
Maybe their bucket is empty."

It made perfect sense. 

We can't give away 
something we don't have. 

And I wondered, 
right there and then, 
in the midst of these precious little faces, 

how many Christians 
are trying 
to make their way through life 
with empty buckets?

So often, 
we dart right out into life 
without first sitting 
at the feet of our Savior 
and filling up on His goodness, 
before communing first 
with the Holy Spirit 
and partaking of His sweetness, 
before allowing the Holy Spirit 
to fill us to overflowing.

All too often, 
we yield 
to our natural inclinations 
because our spiritual buckets 
are empty.

When conflicts arise,
when relationships push us
to a place of response,
when life squeezes us 
until we react,
we reach into self 
and the only thing we can pull out
is the fruit of self.

Instead of love, hate.
Instead of joy, despair.
Instead of peace, strife.
Instead of patience, agitation.
Instead of kindness, animosity.
Instead of goodness, corruption.
Instead of faithfulness, disregard.
Instead of gentleness, harshness.
Instead of self-control, self rules.

No wonder the world 
has a hard time 
seeing Christians as Christ-like.

No wonder the world 
has a hard time 
seeing Christ in Christians.

When our reaction 
is anything but Christ-like,
very likely,
our bucket is empty.

As you look back on the
past few hours,
past few days,
past few weeks of your life,
what kind of fruit do you see?

If it isn't the fruit of the Spirit,
maybe your bucket is empty.~♥

~Stacy