What happens when your gas tank is full? You can run errands for your wife, take your kids to all their activities, offer a neighbor a ride to the airport or deliver a meal to a sick friend.
Do you know what happens when you are full of yourself—but in a good way?
Let me clarify this and speak carefully. Stay with me. Normally when a guy is “full of himself,” it’s not a compliment, and his ego is bigger than Texas. When she’s “full of herself” she’s a narcissist and everybody sees it except her.
However, there is a good, biblical, godly way to be full of yourself. And that is, to love yourself all the way, as much as God loves you. Fully. To see yourself as he sees you—every part of you. No exceptions. Satisfied. Pleased.
You are God’s masterpiece “created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10). He made you, redeemed you, and is sanctifying you to become his best version of you even before you get to heaven.
Now, here is what happens when you actually love yourself in a godly way that approves of your body and soul, strengths and weaknesses, personality and experiences as God’s masterpiece:
You love others more because you don’t need to make them bad in order for you to feel good.
You complain less and compliment more and can take criticism without getting offended and ugly.
You live with an attitude of gratitude.
People filled with God aren’t emptied by stress.
Cara and I were staying with some friends last week and I came into the kitchen early in the morning. Their college-aged son was standing in the kitchen. Anyone that age usually doesn’t greet the morning with glee so I thought I’d try to cheer him up. I walked into the kitchen and said, “Good morning, Sam, it’s a great day!”
Without missing a beat he cheerfully replied, “That’s because every day is a great day.”
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad it in” (Psalm 118:24). That’s blessed. Filled with joy, contentment and satisfaction.
You’re delighted when you believe that what God says about you—your identity, your purpose, your forgiveness, the difference you make in this world—is always true. It fills you. Jesus says that to be blessed is to need that from God and “be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
Pleased. Full of God who makes you full of yourself.
PRAYER: God, did you really make me as your masterpiece? Is it really true that whatever—whoever—you design is put together just right, according to your plan and purpose? You fill me, Lord, and it makes me joyful, content and satisfied. Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Take this opportunity to send a friendly message to a friend who is full of himself or herself. See if they get the hint. More than that, see if they are more interested in being filled with God.