Several years ago, as I sat in Children’s Church, surrounded by precious little hearts, we talked about our world and the all too often missing ingredient, kindness.
We talked about bullies and what it feels like to live in a world where kindness is hard to find.
“Why do you suppose people are mean?” I asked. “Why are there bullies?”
Without thinking twice, a five year old girl blurted out, “Maybe their bucket is empty.”
“Their bucket is empty?” I inquired further.
“Yes. Maybe they are mean because they ran out of nice. Maybe their bucket is empty.”
It made perfect sense.
We can’t give away something we don’t have. And I wondered, right there and then, in the midst of these precious little faces, how many Christians are trying to make their way through life with empty buckets?
So often, we dart right out into life without first sitting at the feet of our Savior and filling up on His goodness, before communing first with the Holy Spirit and partaking of His sweetness, before allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us to overflowing. All too often, we yield to our natural inclinations because our spiritual buckets are empty. When conflicts arise, when relationships push us to a place of response, when life squeezes us until we react, we reach into self and the only thing we can pull out is the fruit of self.
Instead of love, hate.
Instead of joy, despair.
Instead of peace, strife.
Instead of patience, agitation.
Instead of kindness, animosity.
Instead of goodness, corruption.
Instead of faithfulness, disregard.
Instead of gentleness, harshness.
Instead of self-control, self rules.
No wonder the world has a hard time seeing Christians as Christ-like.
No wonder the world has a hard time seeing Christ in Christians.
When our reaction is anything but Christ-like, very likely, our bucket is empty.
As you look back on the past few hours, past few days, past few weeks of your life, what kind of fruit do you see?
If it isn’t the fruit of the Spirit, maybe your bucket is empty.~
~Stacy L. Sanchez / Heartprints of God
