We have all done it—pouring coffee into the cup while talking on the phone or something, and then—shoot! The liquid overflows the cup’s capacity and we have a mess to clean up. This is exactly how our lives are lived as well. We are all vessels and we are being poured into on a daily basis. Whether intentionally or not, your cup—your spirit, is being poured into by someone or something. This is happening continually through such things as the company you keep, the things you read and what you select to watch. Good or bad, we get to choose.
Just like any other vessel, you have a capacity, and when the maximum capacity is reached, you begin to overflow. Whatever has been poured in is what comes out—garbage in, garbage out. Therefore, if you were pouring in negativity, gossip and drama, guess what is going to pour out when your capacity is reached? The opposite is also true. If you surround yourself with positive, faith-filled individuals, feed yourself with the Word of God, pray and speak encouraging words, when your capacity is reached, you will overflow with peace, love, joy and all the other fruits of the Spirit.
Whatever you are overflowing with will impact the people around you. A great way to measure your output is to ask yourself some questions. Are the people around you happy when you are there? Are you being invited back? Is there joy and laughter in your home?
Personally, I had to give a negative response to some of these areas and thus I had to change what I was doing on a daily basis. The great thing is, once you make that course correction, you can change what is being poured in and that will change what is being poured out! What are you pouring into yourself today?