Over the next few weeks Baymonte’s amazing teachers and staff will be featured here sharing a word of encouragement and a challenge. Today’s message is from middle school Bible teacher, Jared Fujishin.
Word of Encouragement:
“There is an old sermon illustration from my childhood that I have been thinking a lot about lately. It went like this…
My pastor had two red cups and had two students each hold one cup. The first student stepped up and the pastor took clean, bottled water and began filling this first student’s cup. Every time he poured more into the first cup, he said the clean water represented things like spending time in God’s word, praying, practicing the Fruits of the Spirit, etc. He continued to fill the cup to the brim.
He then got a bucket of water that he told us came from the toilet and that he had mixed mud into (yes, he was a youth pastor, and yes, there were lots of poop jokes made with the mud). He began to fill the second student’s cup and said this water represented sinful things likes every time we watch Netflix shows that we know are not honoring to God, are cruel to our siblings, make selfish decisions, etc. He continued to fill the cup to the brim.
Then he did something strange. He had the students turn their backs and he mixed up the cups. We didn’t know which one was holding the cup with the filthy water and which was holding the one filled with clean water.
He called on us and we guessed who had which cup. No one could see inside the cups so no one knew who had which water for sure.
Then he bumped the first student who was holding their cup filled to the brim. The clean water spilled everywhere. He bumped into the second student and their filthy water spewed out all over their hands and the floor. We all knew whose cup was filled with which water after they had been bumped.
His point was this: it is not until we are rattled, annoyed, disturbed, or bumped that what is truly inside of us comes out.
As you continue to remain in your homes during this shelter-in-place time due to COVID-19, there is likely going to be times where you argue with your siblings and get annoyed with those in your house.
So, my question to you is this… when you are bumped, what comes out? What have you been filling yourself with? If you find yourself snapping at your parents, your siblings, and becoming annoyed with your teachers, perhaps the problem is not with everyone else. Perhaps, it is a good time to evaluate what you have been filling your cup with.
Challenge for Students:
My challenge to the people of Baymonte is this—be vigilant about filling your cup with the things of God.
Get radical—get rid of your TV and social media. Spend this beautiful gift of time we have been given studying and thirsting after the words of God. Watch sermons. Play worship music in your homes. Take the words of Paul to heart when he commands us to only think on things that are, “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8).
Fill your cup with the things that are of God and watch how arguments, frustrations, and conflicts begin to melt away in your homes.
Thank you for encouragement and challenge Mr. Fujishin!