Poured Out
“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”—Philippians 2:17
Are you ready and willing to be poured out as a drink offering for Christ? All too often we want fame in our faith, to be the one who is constantly needed, who is constantly looked to as the godly example, to be known and recognized. But that is not of Christ. We must be like Christ who “made Himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7) so that God may be made much in us. But what keeps us from being poured out, being made nothing? It is our pride—our ego, or self, inasmuch as they come together under a cloak of godliness desirous to be made much of and recognized for our sacrifice, our zeal, and our righteous lives. Yet there is a completely wrong perspective here—to be recognized for how important we are, or how much we have accomplished, demeans the cross of Christ. It is only through Jesus Christ and what He did on our behalf that we can see our worth, and it is only through living the resurrected life that we understand where our value truly lies.
We do not have anything in and of ourselves to offer God. We have nothing. The apostle Paul wrote to remind us of this great spiritual truth: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”—1 Corinthians 4:7. We received our salvation through what Christ did for us on the cross, and because of that sacrifice we have had His Spirit poured out on us so that by grace we might become heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). So, living in the light of that truth, we are ready to be poured out as a drink offering for the faith of others. We don’t live to be recognized, save by our Master and Lord. It is to Him we live and direct our lives. He is our judge and He is the one from whom we long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It is not for us to judge when we are poured out or how we are poured out; we simply say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty"—Luke 17:10.
Paul recognized that his life was meant to influence and benefit the faith of others—whether that meant teaching, preaching, or suffering; he was ready to give up his life so that the life of Christ might take root in others. And I pray that it might be the same for us. May we be drink offerings for Christ, ready to be poured out in a moment so that God may be clearly seen in us and we can experience the joy of doing that for which God has made us—to give our lives for Him that His life might be seen and enjoyed in us. Amen.
Are you ready and willing to be poured out as a drink offering for Christ? All too often we want fame in our faith, to be the one who is constantly needed, who is constantly looked to as the godly example, to be known and recognized. But that is not of Christ. We must be like Christ who “made Himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7) so that God may be made much in us. But what keeps us from being poured out, being made nothing? It is our pride—our ego, or self, inasmuch as they come together under a cloak of godliness desirous to be made much of and recognized for our sacrifice, our zeal, and our righteous lives. Yet there is a completely wrong perspective here—to be recognized for how important we are, or how much we have accomplished, demeans the cross of Christ. It is only through Jesus Christ and what He did on our behalf that we can see our worth, and it is only through living the resurrected life that we understand where our value truly lies.
We do not have anything in and of ourselves to offer God. We have nothing. The apostle Paul wrote to remind us of this great spiritual truth: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”—1 Corinthians 4:7. We received our salvation through what Christ did for us on the cross, and because of that sacrifice we have had His Spirit poured out on us so that by grace we might become heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). So, living in the light of that truth, we are ready to be poured out as a drink offering for the faith of others. We don’t live to be recognized, save by our Master and Lord. It is to Him we live and direct our lives. He is our judge and He is the one from whom we long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It is not for us to judge when we are poured out or how we are poured out; we simply say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty"—Luke 17:10.
Paul recognized that his life was meant to influence and benefit the faith of others—whether that meant teaching, preaching, or suffering; he was ready to give up his life so that the life of Christ might take root in others. And I pray that it might be the same for us. May we be drink offerings for Christ, ready to be poured out in a moment so that God may be clearly seen in us and we can experience the joy of doing that for which God has made us—to give our lives for Him that His life might be seen and enjoyed in us. Amen.
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