You’re FULL of It!

You’re FULL of It!

Did you know? You are full of it?  But what exactly is the “it” that you are full of?  What is it that is taking up all the space inside of us?  

Most of us are full of something, but unfortunately, usually, most of us are filled with all the wrong stuff.  We are full of busyness and stress. Anxiety and worry.  Full of life stuff; jobs, kids, activities, bills, marriage.  Others are full of fear.  Or full of anger and strife, full of entertainment and the opinions of the world.  Sometimes we can be full of other people’s words, what other people have said or done to us, hurts, and regrets.  And some of us are just full of ourselves, so focused on our own lives that we have zero room for anything or anyone else to fit.

Most of us are full of things that drain and exhaust, but God wants us to empower us with good. He wants to fill us with life that produces more life in us and in those around us as well.   God wants to bless you he wants to fill you with good things but there’s no room left.  God wants to be great in us, but there’s only room for Him to be mediocre. Or worse there’s no room left for Him at all. God knows if He tries to fill you, you will just break. You will not be able to accommodate it. And anything He does try to fill you with will just be wasted. He doesn’t want that.  So we end up empty of all the good God wants us to have.

Empty but Full

To be filled We must be truly emptied. But not the empty most people think.  People say all the time “I just feel so empty”.  But that doesn’t mean they are actually empty. On the contrary, they are probably very full.  But not with good stuff, instead they are completely full of everything that drains.  They feel empty because all the wrong things take up all the space, leaving no room for good, and draining them of any life.  They feel this great emptiness even though they have no room left. What a weird thing to feel so empty, yet be so full.  

Like fuel, you operate out of the abundance that is within you. So, we need to be full of the right things that will help carry us through this world.  And make things feel lighter and easier. Full of good, love, forgiveness, strength, kindness… you get the idea. But if the wrong stuff is abundant in us, we will be overwhelmed and weighed down.

We Have Excess Weight

Sometimes I think worry weighs 500 times more than love.  Or stress weighs 1000 times more than faith.  We are full of heavy things that weigh us down.  Do you feel weighed down, and heavily burdened?  Then you quite possibly are full of all the wrong stuff.  And even worse some people are hoarders.  They are so full of hoarded emotions, opinions of others, and hurts that they keep everything and hang on to it until there is no room left. They can’t receive anything else until they empty something else and make room. But most are unwilling to get rid of anything, they keep it all securely stuffed away.  

And worse God comes along and wants us to deal with this stuff. But instead, we keep shoving it down so no one will see, we will deal with that later, maybe. If we can just shove it down far enough, it will go away and we can be happy, right?

Many of us go into religious mode, trying to be good, and stuffing all this junk down so no one sees. We try to put the lid on ourselves and contain it all.  Then somehow we try to manufacture a scrap of love or happiness when we need it. “it must be in there somewhere, now where did I put that love… I know I have it.”  What little is left is probably buried under all the hurt and disappointment.  

When we are full of all the wrong things.  We become heavily burdened, worn-out people who have managed to put just enough of a smile on the outside to try and fool people to get by.  We have little or nothing good left to offer anyone.  Ever hear someone say “I’m just so exhausted I have nothing left for today, leave me alone.” 

There’s No Room Left

Ever try to be nice to someone and you can see there is just no room for that person to put it.  They can’t accept the good you’re giving them, but why? Well, because they are full of other things.  You can tell the person how wonderful things will be, but there’s no room. All they have is worry fear and anxiety. So your good words just bounce off them. 

Or you tell them about your amazing experiences with God and you can see there is just no room for them to put it because they are so full of their religion. Or while someone tries to be nice to you, you unleash a torrent of junk on them, because that’s what is overflowing in you. Giving what you have been filled with all day. You take it home and pour out on your family, sharing the abundance of your day.  Most people are hard to be around because they are full of wrong things. What you are filled with leaks out; it overflows. 

Then we all come to church full of everything we shouldn’t be and try to get God to come down.  God is saying “Where? Where would you like me to go? There is no room. There’s no room left for me or what I want in your life.”  Then church becomes hard and empty.  Prayer nights are difficult. Why? Because the leader just isn’t very good or spiritual?  No, it’s because we are all so full of everything we shouldn’t be.  Jesus Himself would have a hard time getting up and praying in that room.  Prayers go unanswered, life feels difficult and heavy. Relationships are strained. We just feel worn out.

Relationships You Say?

And speaking of relationships, marriages become distant because both people are usually abundantly full of other stuff that there’s no room left for love.  Have you ever been around a person that just complains constantly about their spouse?  It just pours out. They are so full of hoarded bad attitudes, bitterness, and disappointments that even if their spouse does do good they can’t see it because there’s no room left to put it.  

If for no other reason, other than for their own sakes, even if their spouse is a real jerk, they should empty themselves and be filled with good, with better things.  Things that build up and don’t just tear down.  If they were more full of love maybe their spouse wouldn’t look so much like a jerk.  I know this isn’t the answer we want. We say, “Can you just change my spouse God? I’m really not sure what all this talk is about out dealing with what’s in me, we all know it’s their fault. Just change them, then I can be happy.”

The Bible says, Jesus, FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Ever notice how we try to go into the daily wilderness of life, full of wrong things? Could you imagine if the Bible said Jesus full of the worry and the business of the ministry, full of fear and anger and bitterness towards the Pharisees, full of doubt and worldliness went into the wilderness? Well, I think we know that story would have ended differently.  But yet that’s what we try to do. Full of everything wrong, we try to minister, pray, love our families, and be a good parent, spouse, friend, while taking on the wilderness. No wonder we are getting beat up in life.  

The “Full” Solution

And maybe you truly want to change. You sincerely are trying to be different and are praying and seeking God but it just seems like He never helps or answers.  When in reality, God is constantly trying to help. He is sending help all the time, but there is too much other stuff in the way. His help just rolls off.  God’s help comes as He sends His word, His answers. And when it gets to us, if there’s just no room, it bounces off. We receive it gladly, but there is just no room left to put it. So it doesn’t remain; it doesn’t produce in us.

The answer is obvious, right?  Very simply, we must truly be emptied to be filled.  We have to deal with this storage issue. We must empty ourselves of all this junk, let it go, stop hoarding it, and deal with it. And then not just leave the space clean and empty for junk to return, but fill it to overflowing with the right things. Just talk to God. Tell Him “Hey I want to deal with this stuff. It’s gonna stink but if you help me, then maybe I can finally get rid of this stuff.” Then let God fill us with good,  His Holy Spirit, His heart, His compassion, His love.  Be filled with life and things that produce. And then, let’s go out and take on the wilderness of the world.  Be emptied, be filled, be poured out, repeat. It’s that simple. 

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