Are You Being Poured Out?

We live in a culture that is self-focused. The mantra today seems to be what can you do for me? Sometimes, without actually saying the words, we, by our actions, often ask the question, what’s in it for me? We regularly tell those we care about, I’m here for you. But, are we really? Societal trends have drifted away from community and moved toward self. I want what is good for me, even if it comes at the expense of others.

Let me stop for a minute and say that in my opinion, self-care is different than self-centeredness. Self-care isn’t done with the intent to harm others. Self-care is replenishing my resources without depleting yours, whereas self-centeredness adds to me and subtracts from you. Self-care enables me to give myself away. A self-centered me only attitude is only concerned about me, and instead of giving myself away, I end up giving to me and taking away from you. I also believe that self-care includes others but self-centered ultimately excludes others.

The Bible paints a very different picture than the societal me-first attitude. Just as Jesus poured himself out for us, we are to pour ourselves out to and for others. We are told in Philippians 2:7 that Jesus, who was fully God with all the divine privileges, gave up those privileges, and emptied (poured) himself out for us. When he instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said this, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27b-28).

The apostle Paul, in both Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6, tells his readers that he himself is being poured out as a drink offering. Paul is willing to give himself away, at a cost to him personally, for the benefit of others. Here is what we read in Philippians 2:17, “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”

You might be asking, what is a drink offering? In the Old Testament, a drink offering was an offering of wine that was poured out on the altar as part of the sacrifices of burnt offerings (atonement) and grain offerings (recognition of God’s provision). The first recorded drink offering is found in Genesis 35:14, after God changes Jacob’s name to Israel – “And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.”  On the cross, Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need for a drink offering; his blood literally spilled out when the solider pierced his side with a spear (John 19:34).

Just as Jesus poured himself out for us, and just as Paul considered his service to the world as being poured out, we too are called to be poured out sacrificially for the good of others. I ask you and me today this question – are we willing to be poured out, even to the point of being used up, not seeking to be served, but rather, to serve those around us?   

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