Ever sit and think about that age old question; “is your glass half full or half empty”? And what exactly is this glass supposed to be full of, or, empty of? If you’re like me, and I am sure many others, your glass holds your attitude. I would love to say I am always in the glass half full camp. I do not however, live in the land of make believe. If I am honest about this, there are days I can feel drained, spent, exhausted. I mean, we’re in a new home build, grand babies number three and four will be here before we know it. I should be on cloud nine, right? Don’t get me wrong, I could not be happier about my life, but I can let it stress me out. Normally I do not, let me repeat that, I DO NOT let things stress me out. This season is full of amazing blessings I could never have imagined. I strive to not wear this stress on my sleeve, it isn’t very becoming!
Part of the reason I believe I can be in this glass half empty mood, is this….am I saying “yes” to the right things? When I get to this question, in recent years, my answer would come out in an ambivalent tone. When our children were home and in school, I was the quintessential mom that could have gotten the “Volunteer of the year” award in a landslide. I was a dance, soccer, cross country, basketball, and track mom. Not to mention volunteer coordinator then president of the track and cross-country booster group. And then there was the volunteer spots I filled on a Sunday morning at church. And…and I had a full-time job. My heart was so full of all these things, some days I could feel it about to burst. In hindsight, it is overwhelming to think I did all those things and did them well. There is no way that was even possible. One cannot do all those things and the normal day to day of work, and home life and think they are doing any of them well. So now in this stage of my life with less on my plate, why am I feeling like I am in the glass half empty camp? Because, I have not asked the Lord to soften my heart toward the things He has tasked me with and blessed me with. I have not approached them with the fruits of the Spirit in mind.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 If I am in Christ, I should not feel burdened by any of the tasks I feel are in line with what He is asking of me in my life. I should feel less like a slave and more like a blessed child of God.
So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17
In this case the desires of my flesh can be having less than a grateful heart for the things I am tasked with, according to the whispers of God. When I feel overwhelmed by my to do list or my schedule, the flesh and the spirit fight like siblings and make me want a nap.
How do I overcome the glass half empty mindset and renew it to the glass half full?
Live by the fruit of the Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 I need to readjust my attitude and focus on these attributes instead. This can be a challenge, but so worth the effort.
One final thought; ask the Lord to refill your glass to full, full of Him and His Spirit, when you feel the glass begin to fill back to the brim, *keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) He will never steer us wrong, no matter how overwhelmed we feel over our schedules and to do lists…those things won’t always be there. But the Lord will be!
Carol Frear