Cleaning our Cup
I was working through a bible study with Alicia awhile back. The study focused on falling in love with Jesus more. However, this day began to rattle me as I began to understand the picture of us being a Pharisee at some point in our life. Matthew 23 was the focus of our study that day. The chapter was to serve as a warning about putting on an image of being “religious.”
When we begin to put on this image of “religion” we begin to initially lose the true image of religion, and that is a true and intimate relationship with Jesus. We lose our relationship with Jesus to a superficial image we “think” we are living.
I have to admit, I used to live that kind of life. Being a leader in the church since high school, I began to carry this heavyweight of “being a leader.” I thought I had to be perfect, I had to have my life put together. If I couldn’t lead in the church how could God even use me outside of the church? I began to push down my real relationship with God, for a relationship I longed for and pretended I had. Through the years, I began to work on that real relationship with God, and even more so now, beginning to truly fall in love with the Lord. However, it wasn’t until focusing on Matthew 23 days ago that I truly understood the point that we can all be considered a Pharisee at one point in our walk to boldly seeking the Lord.
The second half of the chapter is considered the “Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees.” These woes are the ways God began to call out the Pharisees as hypocrites. Yes, that is a bold statement to call someone a hypocrite, but hear me out for a second.
25 “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”
I’m sure the health department would be on the edge of their seats if we were only to wash the outside of a used cup because we wanted it to look “pretty”, rather than cleansing it from the inside out. But when we clean the inside first, we begin to clean the outside at the same time. I don’t know about you, but when I clean the dishes, I always start on the inside of the container and as I am washing the inside, the soap begins to clean the outside of the container through the process.
So, here’s my question to you friend. Why are we so worried about the outside of us, the outside of our cup being clean, but not the inside?
Well easy answer, no one can see the inside of us.
For me, I was worried about what people would think of me if I really began to show what was inside of me. I had traded my real relationship with God, for a much better superficial image of what I wanted my relationship with God to look like. I spent all of my high school years, pressing into my talents to make myself look like this put together Christian. I felt good when the parents of my Sunday School Choir would come to thank me for being a role model for their children. I began to place my identity in anything other than Jesus. My talents, relationships, work, school, social media even. I became VERY good about washing the outside of my cup and polishing it day after day, but it soon became exhausting. I noticed myself become distant from who I really was, not remember who God says I am. Looking back, I wish that I could tell myself “Rebecca, wash the inside of your cup.” What you are placing your identity in is not going to sustain you your whole life.
As we begin to wash the inside of our cup, as we begin to let God into ALL the areas of our lives. Friends, yes, I said ALL the areas of our lives. When we can do that, we are able to begin the process of washing the inside of our cup and able to see those reflections move to the outside of us. We being to walk on the path of righteousness with the Lord, and putting on a new image of God. to
Ephesians 4:24 “and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
The root word of righteousness is “right” we begin to walk in the path to being right, to be right with God. But the hard part is dying to ourselves because once we are able to die to ourselves and our own ways, is God able to enter in, to clean our inner being, and to begin to use us in HIS way and for HIS purpose.
Luke 9:24 “Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
It is not easy, I realized that putting on an image of a relationship with Jesus wasn’t going to cut it, I had to die to myself. I sat down at the side of my bed and asked the Lord that if it took from stripping everything from my life to find him and die to myself, to let it happen if it meant I was able to have my inner cup be polished and reflected on my outside being. Sure enough, God had a plan, I moved away for college and was stripped of everything I knew. The process of finding my identity in a relationship with Jesus began to start. Even though I tried so hard to be plugged into groups I knew I could use my talents because that was what I was “known” for, God began to say “No we are going to be taking steps forward, not backward.” I spent more time focusing on my REAL relationship with Jesus and over time what began to polish the inside of me reflected what others began to see on the outside. Then I found my life verse that I continue to remind myself when I feel I could move backwards.
1 Peter 4:10 "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as a faithful steward of God’s Grace.”
These things I put my identity in I used for the use of filling some type of worldly desire, but when we take hold of our talents, opportunities and roles with the mindset of serving God in EVERYTHING we do, He shakes up our world to be better than we could imagine. I will touch on this idea another day, but let’s say Boldly Seeking is one of the outcomes of this journey to using gifts for the purpose of advancing the Gospel.
Here is the reality, our bodies, they are temporary, but what is inside of us, our hearts, is eternal and that is what God will be smiling about when we one day see him. It won’t matter how strong you are, how pretty your hair looks, or how much makeup you have on. What matters is OUR relationship with Christ.
I could go on and on, but I want to challenge you, friend, what are you not handing over to God today? What is keeping you from cleaning the inside of your cup? Are you more focused on your outside image or your internal beauty? Boldly seek for God, to understand his beauty and ability to control ALL areas of your life, Boldly ASK God to use you in ways beyond your wildest dreams, and Boldly love yourself, God, and others. When we are able to Boldly love others will they see the light and love of the Lord shine in us from the inside out.
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and give light to everyone in the house.”
** Coming August 2020 we will be launching our FIRST 3 WEEK STUDY surrounding identity!! We will begin to unpack this idea of cleaning our cup and our identity. Subscribe today to receive the study first and catch a few previews along the creation process!!!
