Is Your Cup Full?

GOD GAVE YOU A LOVE CUP WHEN YOU SERVE.

How is your service and love cup? Puno pa ba o malapit ng maubos?

Here's a fact:

The state of your love cup determines the state of your service or work.

Ika nga ni Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops yourself."

Bilang isang religious servant and fellowship facilitator, expressing our love and service is inevitable. We are called to pour perfume on others, to fill their cup with the gift of ourselves.

Yet many times, we overlook where our drive to serve comes from. Our relationship with ourselves and with our Creator is the basis from which all our relationships are anchored. 

Isa rin akong empleyado. At may mga oras na nati-triggered tayo sa ilang mga customers. There's also some struggles with difficult coworkers, sa by-the-book nating boss and meeting certain metrics, goals or sales. We get tired and stressed too so we tend to distance ourselves sometimes.

May mga obligasyon rin tayo sa ating pamilya. Nagsusungit tayo kapag masyadong maraming demands sa relationship or sa ating bahay. Pagbabayad ng mga bills at tuitions. Pambili ng mga kailangang bagay. Things continued to pile up. It all felt like too much. Nauubos tayo.

Lahat naman tayo - pamilyado man o single - has responsibility to care for the person whom we often take for granted: our self! And ating sarili!

When we serve, what we give others should be the spillover of our full cup. The filling comes from our relationship with God and how we love ourselves. It is not selfish.

We want to be full of God's love for ourselves because we want to love more and give more to others. 

So here are some realistic ways you can fill your cup - your body, mind and spirit.

Rest. If you are physically tired, wag kang ma-guilty na huminto at magpahinga. Hindi ka robot o immortal! Itigil mo muna yong mga usual mong ginagawa. Your physical rest is more important. Gustohin mo mang gawin yong best sa family mo o para sa career mo, hindi mo magagawa yon ng maayos kung wala ka sa tamang condition o masama ang iyong kalusogan. Letting go of some things that are not  a matter of life and death, can really do wonders. Taking a rest can help not just your body, but it can also declutter your emotions. It can clear your mind and give you sense of being refreshed.

Feed. Hindi ito pagkain. Feed your mind. You are or you will become what you read. Avoid watching TV and reading newspaper. They sell bad news. Instead read self-help, personal development, relationship-building books, or the Word of God - the Bible. Leaders are learners. And be motivated and excited to share your learning to others. You can not stay being fed, you need to feed others.

Retreat. Yes, retreat. Take a step back. You need a time for yourself - with God. It may be attending a Mass, a quiet time at home, walking in the village, climb mountains, sun bathing at the beach, or just staring at the sky outside. We need these "me" time or "alone" moments to connect to ourselves and with God. Discern and see what works for you and do it consistently and mindfully. Pray and ask God to reveal His plans for you.

As for me, I like going to coffee shops or quite places to rest. Read books or Bible and taking notes to feed my mind and spirit. And writing my reflections to have a prayerful retreat with God.

Another is attending The Feast. Giving my all on worship songs seems like a rest for me from earthly stress. Listening and taking notes of the talks nourish my mind. Praying makes me feel I'm on top of my life. I read my Bible reflections as having conversation with God.

All these clears my thoughts and I feel I have more to give. These rest, feed, and retreat literally fills my cup.

The Psalm 23:1-5 NIV speaks of these:

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

Rest as God makes you lie down and leads to clear your mind and refresh your soul.

You are in the green pastures so Feed yourself with God's Word so He will guide you along the right paths; equipped with the knowledge and wisdom you've fed in your mind.

Our God rejoice so he prepared you a table to where you can have a Retreat date with Him.

And because you've loved God and He is your shepherd, you will lack nothing on his anointing to serve with an overflowing Love Cup.

So let go of the guilt. To serve more and love more, you need to have an overflowing cup of love from within you and our God.

It works for me. So enjoy the rest, the feed, and the retreat so you can be more empowered to serve!

"...the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." - 1 Timothy 1:14 ESV

Isang Taas Kamaong Nagpupugay sa'yo Kaybigan,
Mark-Lee Tupas Isidro

Kaagapay mo sa Mapagpala at 
Isang Taas Kamaong Tagumpay!!!

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