What's in your cup?

God has really been teaching me a lot lately. (Go figure ;)) It’s amazing how much you can learn when you simply purpose in your heart to not only see God’s hand in every aspect of life but vow to learn from what He reveals to you. What I’m about to share with you completely knocked me upside the head when I first read it. “When a cup full of water is shaken, water spills out. When a cup full of milk is shaken, milk spills out. Why water out of one, and milk out of the other? Because only what is in the cup can come out when it is shaken. If a person is full of anger, anger spills out when he is shaken. It is not legitimate to say, ‘He made me angry,’ since no one and no circumstance can make a person angry. Angry reactions ONLY REVEAL what is in the heart ALREADY.” Pretty deep, right? Yet it’s so simple. When we react to circumstances with anger we are revealing what is in our hearts! Our hearts are so filthy. They are deceitful and we cannot know our hearts – only God can. I was faced with a situation just last night that really boggled my intentions of spilling out love, patience, and Christ-likeness when knocked over. When my cup was spilled – out came rapidly flowing: anger, bitterness, the past…and self pity. As I sat their sulking, tears rolling, I immediately knew that I had just failed the test. All that God had been teaching and showing me for the past week; even though I had listened and prayed for the opportunity; as soon as it came and went, I knew I had missed it. That’s what hurt most of all. I had been so consumed with mySELF and how I was feeling that I REFUSED to swallow my pride and arrogance and just sit still. In case you didn’t know, I have major issues when it comes to being still. (No, I don’t have ADHD…I don’t think) Often times we purpose in our hearts to learn something, we try extremely hard to get it right the first time, we map out a plan for success, but I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t work that way. We cannot do anything in the power of our own strength. It is by God’s GRACE. (Oh, how I LOVE God’s grace – His UNMERITED help; what joy.) On a lighter note as I plan to shift gears; what’s in your heart? When your cup is spilled, what comes out? When the wonderful drivers in Jacksonville show their true colors, how do you react? When your friends make you mad, when your sister makes a mess – what is your heart saying? If your spilled milk is making you cry might I encourage you to get in the Word of God. There is no medicine better prescribed than a heaping dose of God’s word. May you learn to have faith, love, and joy; because they are yours for the taking. Matthew 15:18 – “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile a man.” James 1:19-20, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”