Empty but Enough

When I think of being empty I think of the ocean. Just being so overwhelmed by life that I walk out into the ocean, lay on my back, and float out to sea. Staring at the grey sky above me, closing my eyes, and drifting into the waves. Life is so much sometimes that it is really hard to know what to do, where to turn, and who to rely on. In a world where things are changing so much, especially today, how do you not feel empty? On dark days I feel empty for myself, but there are times where I also feel empty for others. When I feel like I am losing control over life. When I see hurt in others that I cannot heal. When I see the news overflowing with poverty, death, and the struggles of so many. I don’t know how to help. When my cup runneth over so much and for so long, that it has run out. I have nothing left to give and nothing left to get. I am just empty.

I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me. Psalm 22.14

Life can leave you feeling pretty empty when you lose your job, family, friends. When something unexpected happens and alters your circumstances that you thought were in a pretty solid state. When you make sacrifices for your big life plans, and then they don’t work out. When you fail. Often in these times I feel like I have nothing to offer God. I am all poured out. I am not enough.

But what if I told you that your empty self IS enough?

Let’s talk about the apostle Paul. God emptied him over and over with hardships. The man knew quite a bit about suffering. You know he was serious because he made a list to keep up with it all.

“24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11.24-30

WHOA. Look at ALL THAT SUFFERING!

Yeah no, I think I’ll pass on the cold, beating, hungry, sleeplessness bit.

Paul then goes on to write in 2 Corinthians 12.7-10 that he was given his sufferings so he would be able to share that with others to demonstrate God’s greatness and glory. His enough-ness.

“7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Instead of using his hardships to complain, or talk about how great he was, he used it to BOAST in the things that showed how great GOD was. The reason Paul could be okay in all those circumstances, is because God was enough. Even when Paul wasn’t. When you become empty, you are free and unoccupied, so that God can fill you with what He wants. I feel like we go through the overwhelming, overburdened, cup runneth over, out of our control, circumstances, so we can finally say, “Okay God! I can’t do it without you! I alone am not enough!”. There in that moment is where our trust, faith, and circumstances fall into his hands as we let go of them from ours. We have to empty ourselves so God can use us. That means we are going to go through the struggles that we may not necessarily feel like enduring. But as we are “delighting” in our weakness, insults, hardships, persuctions, and difficulties, God is molding us into the disciples he needs us to become. Then we have the privilege to go out into the kingdom and encourage folks, just like Paul.

I am the first to admit I am a control freak. I like that power, because if I am in control of MY LIFE, then everything will turn out the way I want it to. Right? WRONG! When we drop our agendas, our desires, what WE WANT, (our thorns so to speak), then we can scoot over for God to pour into our lives and fill us up.

"5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV)

The Greek word for empty is “kenos”, meaning blank, void, vacant, emptied out. Jesus made himself nothing in order to do what God called him to do, too. He emptied himself to follow God’s will, even to death on the cross. He became obedient at whatever the cost. He humbled himself entirely to let God do his thang, and change the world. That’s exactly what we have to do. His power is made perfect in your weakness ya'll! Allow God to move in on that emptiness. He can make you enough.

You just have to get out of your own way.