The Cup Syndrome
John 18:1
…... the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
Our lives are characterized
by the choices and decisions we make. The issues and challenges we face are as
a result of the diverse choices we have taken in life. A person’s current
situation and circumstances are as a result of the everyday choices that people
make. A successful life is not measured by worldly standards where material possession
is standard but the ability for one to realize his divine purpose on earth and
align himself to that fact accordingly.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Out of wrong decisions and
choices, people tend to look back and wish that if they were given another
chance in life, they could have turned left
somewhere,left that friend, left that spouse, left that business, studied harder, not done this and that and so
on.Still, people continue making irrelevant choices which will definitely
affect their tomorrow.
People tend to focus more on
the ‘packaging’ of life than the substance itself, which is basically money,
houses, cars etc. The choices man make seems to be driven solely by ‘packaging’
which in true sense ends up in the trash bin.
The best that man needs is not determined by the packaging material yet
the packaging has been instrumental in the problems and challenges people face in
life today. The best in life is not
determined or influenced by the packaging material.
Matthew 23:27 (KJV)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all
uncleanness.
When Moses became of age and
realized his purpose in life, he left the palace. Being in any‘palace’ without
the will and purpose of God is futile, unfulfilling and horrendous. It is when
one comes back to his senses, realizes that God has a plan for his life and
pursues it, then, the person starts experiencing a fulfilling life.
Hebrews 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he was come to years,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
People today tend to choose
the vain things of this world at the expense of their faith and belief. But
Moses chose to drink from the cup that the Lord gave him by leaving the pleasures
of being in royalty for the things of God.
When Elisha realized his
divine purpose and calling, he chose to drink from the Lord’s cup by disowning
his wealth in order to pour water on Elijah.
1 Kings 19:19-21
So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son
of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with
the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he
left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my
father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go
back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and
took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments
of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and
went after Elijah, and ministered unto him
Daniel and his friends, in
the palace refused to defile themselves with the king’s delicacies. Instead,
they chose the despised for the glory of God (Daniel 1:11-15).
Illustration: Some students visited their
professor while complaining on how life was hard and unfair. The professor made
some hot chocolate and placed various cups and invited them for the beverage.
The students picked the expensive cups and left the less expensive ones. They
then started eyeing each others' cups. The professor told them the origin of
their problems was because they each wanted to acquire the best. Life was the
chocolate yet their focus was not on the beverage but the cups!
The purpose of God for our
lives, when realized and pursued will bring out the best of us and lead us to
His blessings.
Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ…
2 Corinthians 4:18
…while we do not look at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are
temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
We are exhorted to seek the
spiritual, the unseen, as they are eternal. Worldly standards are contrary to
divine purpose and are a distraction to many from attaining their potential and
purpose in life! Worldly blessings vanish like the wind.
This is evident even today
for the struggles of men don’t come to an end. They struggle to fill physically
what the spirit has to take control. If the spiritual doesn’t fit into the
cradle, the physical will not be compatible either, for the spiritual birthed
the physical and man’s ignorance will not be substituted.
Man has to make a choice for
the Lord’s cup or the cups that the world presents. Many people miss out on God
because they live by sight and not by faith. These, like the students in the
illustration above, fight for cups which do not add an ounce to their lives and
at the end; they quietly feel wasted, cheated, duped and empty.
Below are some of the cups
which people fight for irrespective of what they deserve and appropriate.
1. The expensive cup – This is the most sought after cup. People struggle in life oblivious of the will and purpose of God upon their lives in order to get the best their hands can reach for, for pride’s sake. People care much about the opinion of the society that they go that extra mile to portray what they are not. Such characters will always discard the old when something new comes into the market. They do not care about the cost, its effect upon their lives, or other people’ lives but yearn to walk in the best attire, drive the best vehicles, live in the best houses, get the best jobs even at the expense of others.
1Samuel
16:7 (KJV)
But the LORD said unto
Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I
have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Those
who chose the expensive cups care about status quo. They live under the fear of
how people will see them, handle them, identify them, appreciate them etc. They
have a vacuum which they think by acquiring the best in life, they will
eventually live a satisfactory and fulfilling life; at the end, they find that
it is all futility and vanity!
Those
who choose the expensive cups will always end up in frustrations because the
services these cups provide can be given even better by an ordinary cup! These
are the people who spend their lives hopping from one girlfriend or boyfriend
to another, seeking for the ‘best’ available ones and for pride. What a
deception! They jump from one resort to the other in search of the best! They run
after the best available motor vehicle and discard it when a newer model comes
in to the market. Their lives are characterized by chasing after waterfalls and
at the end, they yield unfruitfulness.
2. The larger cup – There are those who don’t care about beauty, but will go for capacity. They are very selfish and greedy. Their personal satisfaction and fulfilment is a priority even at the expense of others. They end up living corruptible lifestyles; grabbing, stealing, covetousness, etc. They will hoard and deny others of what is rightly theirs, for selfish ends. These crave for things even when they don’t necessarily need them and at times they even dispose and discard so that none benefits. They are polygamous in nature and very stingy.
2 Samuel 12:1-4
Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.”The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. "But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. "And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."
3. The comfortable cup – There are those who think that life is all about comfort and pleasure. The rich fool worked and filled his barns and sought to settle and enjoy in comfort but God’s plan was different for him.
Luke
12:15-20
And He said to them,
"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in
the abundance of the things he possesses." Then He spoke a parable to
them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. "And
he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to
store my crops?' "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns
and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 'And I
will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years;
take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." "But God said to him,
'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those
things be which you have provided?'
Those who seek comfortable lifestyles in life
fail to understand God’s purpose for their lives and end up getting
disappointed. In many instances, many people work, get into careers to attain a
comfortable lifestyle where they can settle, have merry and enjoy life in any
available means. They fail to understand that they never came to earth to get
comfortable and be at ease. God created them for a purpose which they have to
accomplish in order to get fulfilment in life. Getting comfortable in life is
not an achievement. One needs to ask and desire to pursue his purpose on earth
in order to be successful. There is no comfort when one has a vacuum in his
life,which is void and wanting. Hobbies and pleasurable lifestyles are cups
which cannot substitute spiritual gaps.
Proverbs
21:17
He who loves pleasure will be
a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
I
believe the Samaritan woman had such a problem in her life; seeking out
different means to satisfy her life with. There is so much sin in comfort and
idleness. Sodom and Gomorrah was a comfort zone for Lot, and he almost got
destroyed there.
4. The lesser cup – There are also those who opt for the lesser cup. Those who feel inferior and suffering from low self-esteem. Remember Mephibosheth compared himself with a dead dog, even though he had the royal blood in his life!
2 Samuel
9:7-8
So David said to him,
"Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your
father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather;
and you shall eat bread at my table continually. "Then he bowed himself,
and said, "What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?
The
prodigal son wished to be taken back as a servant yet his father was very rich.
Luke
15:17-19
"But when he came to
himself, he said, 'How many of my
father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with
hunger! 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I
have sinned against heaven and before you, "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.
There are those who look at their deficiencies
and compare themselves with others in many categories not accepting the fact
that they too are winners! They look at themselves as the reject of the society
in terms of career, education, financial status, cadre etc., which is an insult
before God for people are gifted differently and established for specific
purposes in life and the society. They go for what the society ‘rejects’ when
in real fact the best is for all!
1Timothy
4:12
Let no man despise thy youth;
but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity,
in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Never
let yourself be despised in your ego or spirit. You are as special as the other
one! You speak the same language, breathe the same air, sleep the same sleep, and
have the same time.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to
the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of
skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
5. God’s Cup – This cup is not chosen. It is given. We have no influence over the cup that God gives us yet we can choose not to take it. The Lord’s cup may not appeal to the eyes yet it brings with it fulfilment and success. It is when a person yields to God’s will and purpose that the Lord presents His cup appropriately.
Proverbs
10:22
The blessing of the LORD, it
maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
When
we obey the call of God upon our lives by aligning ourselves to His will, then
Lord begins working upon our lives and as thus His kingdom is established here
on earth, as it is in heaven. Earthly material things and wealth will not be an
influence over our lives. We shall not go chasing after them, but rather prosperity
will be chasing after us.
When
believers run after worldly cups, the wealth stealthily evades them but when
they accept and receive the Lord’s cup, the blessings of God start chasing
after them!
Believers
ought to settle down and enjoy the cup that the Lord gives them, even as Jesus
did. People should desist from comparing their ministries with others. What God
has put in your hands is the best for you and He knows when to place the best,
comfortable bigger cup into your hands. We ought to thank God that we are in
His will and purpose. Your miracle lies
within the cup that the Lord has given you; your prosperity lies within the cup
that God has given you; your success, joy, career, Mercedes Benz, mansion, job
etc. all lie within the cup that the Lord is giving you. Will you receive it?
The
talents and gifts that God packaged in your life are not there in vain. These
talents are there to show you His purpose for your life. Once these talents are
aligned to His will, they become spiritually excited, functional and effective.
When these gifts are used to accomplish His divine will and purpose, then they
eventually open doors for the believer and other things start to fall into
place for him.These gifts start being aligned with a person’s life upon salvation
since non-believers, though having talents, without God, have what is
unfulfilling to their lives, in the talents.
6. Believer’s cup – When believers realize God’s divine purpose in their lives and accept the cup that the Lord gives them, they too are positioned to give others from the cups in their lives through service. We are exhorted not to bury our talents, but use them effectively and accordingly, for there is a reward for the same.
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
The
challenge here is that believers expect God to serve them in porcelain cups yet
they serve others on lesser cups. What you serve others with will be served
unto you. That is the best way to examine one’s service. In order to change
this, one is expected to change his way of service in order for the principle
to take charge. You will receive the measure you give unto others. Do not
complain when a cup is placed onto your hands. The need to examine our lives is
necessary especially regarding our service to others, and unto the Lord. Let us
endeavor to serve others from the golden cups within our lives and the same
shall come back unto us.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Blessings.
-- Pastor
Samson Munyoki.
(4/10/14 Kesha Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)
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Blessings.