Pouring from an Empty Cup

Hello friends + Happy Monday!

I pray that this week you have been filled with joy and peace!

In last week’s podcast episode we talked about motherhood and self care. We talked about what the world tells us we should be doing for “self care” (getting our nails done, girls’ trips, glasses of wine, what have you). We compared what the world tells us self care is to what we see in the Gospels. Motherhood is a ministry and we should model all aspects of our work as mothers after the life of Christ. When you read the gospels as a whole, you see that Jesus doesn’t “pamper” himself when He needs rest and renewal, instead He comes before His Father in private prayer.

We also discussed a saying we see floating all around the internet: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” This is a thought I wanted to dive a little deeper into in today’s post because I think it’s important.

As busy mamas, wives, career women (the podcast episode is geared toward mamas, but all of us are busy no matter our marital or motherhood status), we give and give and give. Nurturing is in our nature. Specifically in motherhood, the giving doesn’t stop. If I stopped and realized how much time I actually had for myself before my children were born, I would have taken advantage of it a bit more, haha.

Moms tend to give and give and give no matter the hours, no matter the energy levels, no matter the emotional state. When we are needed, we give. And lots of moms on the internet are telling us we can’t pour from an empty cup. We need to have time alone and fill ourselves up.

This thought isn’t inherently wrong, that moms need a moment to have alone time and be renewed. In the podcast episode, we talk about how to do that properly. You can listen to that here.

Here’s the cold hard truth: We can pour from an empty cup.

We have to pour from an empty cup.

We need to pour from an empty cup.

Yes, you read that right. We need to pour from an empty cup. What does Scripture say about that? Let’s look.

Christ Emptied Himself

As Christian moms, we are to pursue Christ likeness. Philippians 2:5-7 teaches us that Christ, the Son of God emptied Himself and became a servant. If we are going to be like Christ, we need to empty our cup and lower ourselves to be servants just as He did when He came to Earth. Even though Jesus was God, He did not count Himself equal to God. I sure hope we aren’t counting ourselves equal with God. We are to empty ourselves of any pride and sacrificially and selflessly serving our families and in turn serving God.

We are Not to Complain

Later in Philippians 2:14-15, we learn that we are not to complain about anything so that we can be LIGHTS in our world. If you are constantly complaining about having an empty cup and serving others, your children are going to see that. Instead, be a light and joy through your serving so that your children might also learn to serve others.

What is in Our Cup is Not Good

In Jeremiah 17:9, it says the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. What naturally flows out of our cup is not good! It is sin, pride, anger, selfishness, resentment, frustration. This is what pours out of us naturally. This is not what we want to pour out onto our families! We need our cup to be empty so we can pour goodness on our families…

Our Weakness is Good

Here’s the entire basis for my idea that our cup NEEDS to be empty:

“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

If we are not weak and empty, God cannot be glorified. If our cup is FULL, we do not need Him to come and fill us up! Our cup needs to be empty so that we can come to Jesus and ask for His strength, His power, His grace. The power of Christ can only rest on us when we are empty and weak.

So yes, You need to pour from an empty cup because you need the power of God to pour from your cup. You need the grace of God to pour from your cup. You need the joy and love and gentleness and mercy of the Lord to be poured from your cup. When you take “filling your cup” into your own hands there will be no room for the things of the Lord. But when your cup is empty, He can fill it with goodness and that is what will be poured out.

This week, take a moment or two or three away from the world of motherhood. But not so you can pamper yourself. Take a moment away so that you can sit in the quiet, loving presence of the Lord and lay your empty cup at His feet so that He can fill it with His power, grace, and peace which passes all understanding.

You are loved + cherished and may the Lord make His face shine upon you.

Living Fruitfully Group Read Guide!

Hi friends!

Yesterday, my eBook devotion "Living Fruitfully" released! It's a project that I've been working on for the past year and it feels surreal to share the finished product with you!

It is a 12 day devotional on the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. The purpose of the devotion is to jump start your quiet time with the Lord and help you cultivate a fruitful life. You are capable of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and more when you are walking in the Spirit. Each day of the study walks you through a fruit of the Spirit and teaches us how God exemplifies that fruit, how we can cultivate that fruit, and the result of living a fruitful life in the Spirit.

If this is something you are interested in, you can navigate to the top of the website and click on "SHOP" to download the ebook! It's 100% free, you can print it or you can read it on your phone, iPad, or computer. I pray it is an encouragement to you and helps you know Jesus a bit more.

The whole point of this blog post is to direct you to our group read which starts TODAY! I thought it would be fun to go through the devotion together. I'd love for us to actually get together but since that's not possible, Instagram is the next best thing!

Here is a little guide on how to "join" our group read!

• Follow @theunfoldingco on Instagram!

• Download the study!

• Grab a journal, a pen, and some index cards!

How it works!

It's not going to be too in depth, crazy or annoying! Essentially there will be a daily post on the Instagram post reminding you read and encouraging you to share a take away or answer to the prompt! You absolutely don't have to, you can just take the reminder and not comment at all.

I truly pray this devotion is a blessing to you, and I pray it is only full of truth.

If you download it, thank you so much!

Your Worth is Not in Your Productivity

A very important lesson I'm learning is that my worth is not found in how much I accomplish in a day.

We live in a busy, "hustle" culture that tells us that if we don't have a side job, a full schedule, and 25 trips planned this year, we aren't enough. A culture that tells us that if we don't have anew car, a new house, and perfectly styled wardrobe, we aren't enough. A world that tells us if we don't make bake bread from scratch, have a perfectly organized home, breastfeed each child for 2 years, and give birth unmedicated, we aren't enough.

This is not what Scripture says.

I'm tired. I'm tired of the pressure to be busy, to be "productive" and to not stop moving. I'm tired of feeling unworthy. If you're in the same boat, keep reading.

Friend, your worth is not found in what you DO. It is not found in how early you wake up, how many "to-do's" you have crossed out, how much money is in your bank account.

You are worthy, because you were made worthy.

You are worthy because Christ died for you.

You are worthy because the Creator who made the unmeasured oceans also made you.

You are worthy because grace was poured over you.

You are worthy because you were made wonderfully, beautifully, fearfully.

You are worthy because God created you to worship Him, praise Him, and serve Him.

Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We were worthy of His death at the time of His death and we are still worthy today. Not because of any one accomplishment, but simply because He loves us.

Matthew 10:31 tells us that we need not fear because we are more valuable than the sparrows, and the sparrows are taken care of.

2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that God's grace is enough, because where we fail, He is glorified.

Hebrews 4:16 says that we confidently come to God's throne of grace and receive help. Why? Because He made us worthy!

I pray today that if you are caught up in the busy, if you feel like you have to work harder and longer, that today you would pause. Pause and breathe. Enjoy the presence of the Lord, ask for help in finding your worth in HIM and not in what you do. Silence the noise, and instead thank Him for making you worthy when you were not.