One of my favorite stories is about the Pentecostal man
who had a little trouble living an exemplary life. In fact, he was a mess. He lied.
He drank too much. He
cheated. His “sins” were many.
But every week, as behaviorally challenged as he was, he
came to worship.
And every week he listened to the sermon
And every week he was convicted
And every week he answered the altar call and would go
down front to confess and be renewed
As he made the trek down the aisle to the front of the
church, where the pastor was waiting he would often chant, ”Fill me Jesus, Fill
me. Fill me Jesus fill me”
Finally, one week, one of the women in the congregation
could deal with it no longer. As he
chanted “Fill me Jesus fill me: she shouted “Don’t do it, Jesus, he leaks”
The fact is
We all leak.
We can’t help ourselves
We are all a bit cracked (2 Corinthians 4)
And whatever fills us
Whatever is there at the center of who we are,
Oozes out of us
One way or another
In our words, attitudes, priorities, values, and actions.
My mother used to say “Garbage in, garbage out”
She had a point.
What we consume as food matters
What we consume emotionally, intellectually, spiritually
Matters
So we have to be careful what we consume
We have to pay attention to what we are being fed
The proof of what we are devouring is in the living
Who am I allowing to fill my plate?
What are they putting on my plate?
What am I eating?
What am I getting from my political idols?
When I listen to them speak, am I moved to be a person of
love?
Or am I filled with a lust for domination and retribution?
Am I encouraged to be a better person? Or am I dragged into the realm of hate and
fear?
What am I getting from my church? (or in my case, what am
I dispensing)
Am I helping people to forgive, accept, welcome, value
others, ALL others?
Am I helping them to see other people as children of God?
What is the “fruit” of those times spent on the computer,
watching TV, or even reading?
I’ll know by looking honestly at what leaks out of me!
Is it love?
Kindness? Patience? Generosity? Welcome?
Or is it anger? Hate? Judgement? Even cruelty?
A friend of mine, a truck driver, posted a meme on
Facebook
It was a picture of a diesel engine. The captions said.
If there is no oil under it, there is no oil in it.
Today, as I enter into yet another day,
In a world filled with strife and hate
A country divided
My fervent hope is that I will be filled with Jesus
Filled with love
That I will choose wisely what I consume!
And yes, I truly do hope that I leak!
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