I was in church [yesterday] and a friend of mine was speaking. To get it out of the way, the main point of his topic was about “sacrifice”. As in: sacrificing your life for others and for God; laying it all down for something more. He made some good points, and he quoted a verse from 1 John 3:16. Notice that I didn’t say “John”, but “First John.”

Something came to me as he was speaking, though. A revelation of sorts. It wasn’t something he said that made me come up with this specific concept. No, it almost had nothing to do with the message at all. At least, not in the point that he was trying to convey.

Instead, it was what he did that rattled my brain. His movements on stage and his mannerisms. In fact, there was no way he could’ve known what he was doing, as it was completely natural, something that you’d have to be paying close attention to pick up on.

Either that, or be just completely out of your mind, which I’m sure after this you’ll choose the latter for my case.

It’s a simple routine, for pastors, to bring up a bottle of water on stage for when they speak. Sometimes they need it, and sometimes they don’t. Maybe it’s to quench their thirst for when their mouth is dry, or maybe they lost their spot and need to get their thoughts together again. Either way, the bottle [or glass] of water is the one thing that can help them when they are on getting passionate, and they are on fire.

Now, in this specific instance, my friend not only brought up one bottle of water, but he had another one just-in-case. [he must’ve been nervous.]

Now he puts both bottles on the ground in front of him, one of them already open just so he can take a quick drink when he needs it…which he does. I can’t help but notice though, that my friend tends to move around a lot. It must be a habit of his when he speaks, one I hope he can use to his advantage later on in life.

But for me, I couldn’t help but keep my eyes on those two bottles. One open, and one not. Now, the first reason I did this, was because I was expecting him to move past them and knock one of them over, but fortunately this wouldn’t be the case.

What I did notice, though, as he was speaking. Was that one time, he picked up the open bottle, and took a drink. But instead of placing it back next to the closed one, he put it off to the right side of the stage [one of the areas he frequently walked.] Then he continued to do his thing.

Eventually, he came back to that spot, and at one point he was thirsty, so he picked up the bottle and took another drink. He walked as he did this, past the other bottle on the floor center stage, and over to the left side of the stage this time. He put it down. He continued to do his thing.

As he nears the end of his sermon, he comes back to the water bottle, about half-full now, and picks it up to take yet another drink. He’s really on a role now, as he walks back towards center stage, and gets up to the podium. He doesn’t place the bottle on the ground, though, but instead he places it on the podium in front of him. Fortunately, even though it was an angled podium, it still stayed in place and didn’t fall over. It would stay at that spot until the end of the sermon.

Now, here’s where I start to develop a few things.

Using the water bottles as an example, I want you to imagine something. Pretend you are one of those bottles, filled to the top, and that other bottle is a friend of yours, or someone you look up to spiritually. Both of you have been filled by Jesus. You know his teachings well, and you are both ready to take on the task that God has given to you.

The task of the water bottle being to fill other people up. To savor their thirst.
You’re exactly what they need correct?

Now, pretend it was your friend that was picked up, and not you.
You sit on the sidelines, waiting to be used, but no one needs you, they have your friend. You can see your friend being used for his purpose, and you can see that slowly he is beginning to be drained.
You want to be in his position, but unfortunately that is not the case this time. He will be used, and you will have to wait on the ground.

That’s sometimes the way I feel. I feel like I’m on the ground, I’ve been filled spiritually by God. I know his plan for me and I know that I want to fulfill that plan. I look at people and I see them doing big things for God, I see them fulfilling their plan. Yet I have to look on from the ground; see them pass me by too and fro, but I can’t be them. I want to be in their place, but I can’t.

Why?
Simply because God isn’t ready to use me, or maybe I’m not ready.
Sometimes I don’t think this is fair.
Why is it that I sit here filled up, yet I have to watch others go ahead of me? Why can’t that be me instead?
And that’s why I’m not ready.
Because I don’t have the patience to wait for God to come along, and pick me up.

Now, pretend instead, that you are the other bottle; the opened one.
God chose you for the task, and he starts putting your plan into action.
He brings you back, and forth, each time draining you even more.
Think about it, your spirituality, is being drained. Emotionally…you are being drained. The more he uses you, the emptier you’re going to become.

Sucks, doesn’t it.

But picture this. The emptier you become, the higher he can place you. You were full before, but why, now that you’re empty, can you be placed in a higher position. Because you won’t tip over. Because now you have the experience.

If you’re that bottle, still sitting on the ground, looking up at those people and you want to be there some day. Then I assure you that you’ll be there when the time comes. You just have to be patient and wait for him.

Now, if you’re that bottle on the ground, and you’ve been filled. You’ve been to church you’re whole life. You know spirituality from top to bottom. But you don’t want to lose it…if you’re afraid of the sacrifice it’s going to take to help fill someone else up.

Then you’ll never reach higher ground. You’ll never get that experience, and you’ll never do great things for God.

You see, without even knowing it, my friend was able to illustrate the meaning of sacrifice by the simple routine of drinking out of a bottle. The one that was chosen, was ready for the task, and they gave all that they could, all that was allowed from them, to help a person in need. To fulfill it’s purpose, and to further expand the kingdom of God.

Now, sometimes being on the ground just isn’t the fun place to be, but sometimes you have to understand, that God can’t use everybody at once. If he used everybody, then there would be no one to back you up once you were empty. There’s always gotta be someone else, waiting to be used, for there to be spiritual growth.

When I look too far into it, in fact, this was quite simply: a stupid analogy.
But if you look too far into it, then you’ll miss the point.

Sacrifice.

Sometimes you have to give God your all, before he can bring you to the top.
Think about it.