Empty Yourself

Fishers of Men must empty themselves of our own will to accomplish the will of God. I remember a preacher telling a story about buying drinks at Sonic. I don't know if they still do this, but most Sonics do not give refills. So, my astute preacher had a workaround. He would ask for less ice. Because there was less ice in the cup to begin with, there was more room for his drink.

In theological studies, there is often a discussion of Kenosis, a term that roughly means self-emptying. This is primarily used in reference to Jesus' action as described in Philippians 2:5-7:

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Jesus of all people knew what it meant to empty himself of any of his own will in order to take on full obedience. He knew that there would be times when he would go days and weeks with very little positive response to his message. He even spent the first thirty years on earth outside of ministry preparing for what be his ultimate mission. 

There are times when we may not fill like our spiritual tank is full. Maybe we are not putting enough fuel in the tank. However, it may be that the tank is so full of so many other things that we don't have room left for what is most important. 

God Bless 

Quention