Be an Empty Vessel

We are halfway through the first month of the New Year. Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? Set some goals? This would be a good time to analyze how you are doing.

Sometimes we go into the New Year with the focus being on things like our health, money and relationships. While all of these are important areas in our life we can’t forget the importance of our spiritual walk. In fact, that should be the most important area that we work on.

It helps to first consider if you have grown in your relationship with the Lord. Are you any different than you were at this time last year? Are you any different than you were five years ago? Ten years ago?

We should really be seeing a difference in our spiritual walk as time goes on. That’s not to say that we somehow arrive at this place of having it all together…because we never will while on this earth. But there should be some definite differences between the person we were five years ago and the person we are today. We should even see growth from a year ago.

A relationship with Jesus is about learning and growing. It never stops. I know sometimes we get discouraged and we feel frustrated that we constantly have to be tested and challenged. Just when it seems like we get one thing in our life dealt with, along comes something else.

We will always be shown those things that need work. But that isn’t something to be frustrated about. James 1 talks about testing our faith. When our faith is tested our character is molded and shaped. It will always need work. But it’s the only way to develop endurance, wisdom, humility, perseverance and the list goes on.

Embrace those things that Jesus wants to change within. Allow Him to continue to refine you. When you make yourself into an empty vessel, you leave room for Him. The more you open yourself to His work in your life, the greater the outpouring. I don’t know about you but I would much rather be overflowing with His character than my own.