A Whimsical Dictionary: E is for Empty

A Whimsical Dictionary of Surprising Influences.

E is for Empty –

When there’s nothing left, like an empty gas tank, or an empty stomach, or an empty feeling; the opposite of full, which as it turns out isn’t so bad; poverty of spirit, which is a blessed invitation to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 5); a hungry prelude to God’s filling; a humble sense of inadequacy that is redeemed through Christ’s adequacy; the surprisingly powerful prerequisite to self-fulfillment; to empty by exhaling to others what one has inhaled to oneself (eg, grace, truth, compassion, forgiveness); the diligent refusal of something good for oneself in order to benefit someone else (eg,God empties Himself of honor to become man; Jesus empties Himself of stature to serve man; the Holy Spirit empties Himself of glory to transform man).

So when you feel weak, when your spirit is empty, be prepared… God is on the move, He is preparing to make you strong and full in Him. That’s what makes emptiness a gift, and weakness an unlikely state of grace. Runnin’ on empty turns out to be a spiritual blessing.