This might sound like a strange question to ask, but consider this: whatever we are full of will be what leaks from the deepest recesses of our being whether we intend that or not.
One obvious way we see this is when we are overly tired or stressed. No matter what our faith or desire may be to emulate, most of us will leak lots of evidences of that exhaustion. Our words will be sharper and our tone will often reflect frustration. We will listen less well even if we don’t want that to happen. We will be eager to get away from everyone and everything to find some level of relief even if that simply means falling into bed.
It happens to all of us.
But there are other things that seep out of us that may be harder to recognize unless we determine to observe ourselves objectively. If we are full of bitterness, envy, jealousy, lust, selfishness, greed, anger, or resentment, those will leak in our responses to life and those in it. We may very well try to hide such things in the recesses of our hearts, but we are never as skilled as we think in doing so.
Those less nice things, those sins, that we have left unattended within our hearts lead to a feeling of emptiness and we go to great lengths to try to fill that emptiness. We may use any number of things including but not limited to alcohol, cigarettes, food, spending (also known as retail therapy), sleeping, TV, movies, music, gambling, or even excessive exercise. We want to evade and avoid what seems to be devouring us. But we won’t stop there.
We also will try to use others to try to fill us up. Ruth Haley Barton puts it this way:
“When we are not finding ourselves loved by God in solitude, in the company of others we are always on the prowl for ways they can fill our emptiness. We enter life in community trying to grab and grasp from others what only God can give.”
What we most need is for those persons we seek out to lovingly point us to the only Source that can deal with both the ugly things in our unattended heart and the emptiness that comes when our hearts have chilled from bitterness, disappointment, hurt, rejection, and more.
“At times the strength of spiritual community lies in the love of people who refrain from getting caught in the trap of trying to fix everything for us, who pray for us and allow us the pain of our wilderness, our wants, so that we may be more deeply grounded in God.” Rosemary Dougherty
Those people will need a tenacious grace-filled faith to both nudge us and leave us alone with God even when we protest that we don’t hear Him or He doesn’t care.
“Solitude, at its most basic and profound level, is simply an opportunity to be ourselves with God.” Ruth Haley Barton
The simple truth is this: when we sit in the presence of the Lord, we are changed. His love overshadows us and washes away the debris within and floods us with Himself. It is then when we have been drenched like dew on grass in the early morning that we are satisfied. And when we leave that place to re-enter our world, we leak His love, His fragrance.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:15 (AMP):
“For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;”
It is hard to know what we are leaking sometimes. Right now I am leaking sadness but want to leak strength and peace.
You’re right! We don’t always know at the point. Praying the Lord will fill you with what only He can provide during this time for you!💕
I know I can leak self-pity, feeling offended, feeling discouraged, etc., but I want to be like this instead: “And when we leave that place to re-enter our world, we leak His love, His fragrance.” Amen! Thanks, Pam.
Hi Lisa! I have leaked those things and more at different times and sadly, I often did not recognize how I was impacting others and tarnishing His image in me. I am very much aware that being too tired or busy, lack of enough time with Him and soaking His presence into me will allow such things to still appear if I am not attentive to my heart. Have a blessed day, my friend!💕
I am so enjoying your series, Pam … you are the icing on my cake, the whipped cream on my sundae, the pepperoni on my pizza.
Thank you for causing me to reflect deeper. You continue to take me to a peaceful place and I am grateful …
Ah, thanks, Linda! You got the ball rolling with the book you recommended. I am humbled the Lord has used me in your life from many miles apart because of His Spirit that joins us together!💕
“Being ourselves with God.”
I’m coming to this fresh off a challenging morning with a temperamental teen who’s experiencing some disappointment, so I relished the time alone in the car after dropping him off.
We need these solitude appointments as re-sets throughout the day!
I hear you on this, Michele! I fully agree. Your comments fit perfectly yesterday as a result of visiting our daughter who currently homeschools 3 teenagers. We do indeed need re-sets throughout the day oftentimes!💕
Thank you for these words today, Pam. I am feeling pressed from every side and I find that under the stress & pressure I am not always ‘leaking’ what I want and ought to be ‘leaking’ – I am going to give these things some thought today.
Ah, Heather, I know what you mean very well and have realized later than I wished what had leaked out that others observed or felt that I had not noticed myself. Have a blessed day today!💕
It’s a great question to ask ourselves … “what are we leaking?” I hope that it is good and not bitterness or envy, etc. Thanks also for the reminder to make time to just be with the Lord and let Him reveal all that needs to be purged from my life today. Thanks so much, Pam!
Thanks, Beth! Sadly, I have had times in my life where I have not recognized that I was leaking things that came from the unattended wounds in my heart. I am often nudged by the Lord in my times with Him to consider the theme of this post in my daily life. Have a blessed day!💕
Love this! We talked about this in church this week. What we fill our minds and hearts with will come out. Such great inspiration to spend more time with God and less on Facebook!
How neat it is when the Lord confirms something to us! Thanks, Nicole, for sharing this and for your heart for Him!💕
Pam, it is so true. Years ago I heard someone put it this way … What is in the teabag comes out in the water. I never forgot it. Blessings to you today!
Hi Joanne! I LOVE that illustration! It fit perfectly! Thank you!💕
Hi Pam. I was a high school secretary at my last job. In Nov. 2016 I decided I would finish the school year, then quit. For the next six months, discontent and frustration leaked out in many ways. In the future I won’t stay as long in a situation where I’m tempted to keep leaking. Great post!
Thanks, Sarah! I can identify with that kind of leaking more than once in my lifetime. Sadly, I didn’t always recognize I was leaking. Blessings on your day and time with Him!💕
It’s so true that whatever is inside us leaks out. This is a great reminder of why it is so important to spend time with God filling up with his truth and his Spirit so that is what leaks out of us, especially when we are under pressure.
Amen, amen, Lesley! That has been my lived experience….sometimes learned the hard way…after the fact with the evidence splashing over others.💕