I had never thought about the expression – “filling my bucket” – until I heard someone talk about it.
She spoke about someone’s betrayal emptying her bucket, but then people began filling her bucket. She gave God a mention after listing several people who took part in replenishing her bucket. Where she had lost touch with Jesus, she had regained sight of Him.
This made me do some serious talking with God.
I had to ask myself some questions:
Who fills my bucket?
Who should fill my bucket?
What should fill my bucket?
If Jesus alone is not filling my bucket, why am I allowing anyone else into that place in my life?
What needs to be renewed in my mind so that I only allow Jesus to have that privilege?
I realized that people will always betray me. When that happens, if they are the only ones filling my bucket, then my bucket is always in danger of being empty.
I thought about Jesus, and how Judas betrayed Him. Matthew 26:14-16: “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
Jesus’ bucket wasn’t emptied by Judas’ betrayal because He was intimate with His Father. Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross, and His subsequent resurrection, provide the opportunity for all of us to have a similar intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.
I used to want people to fill my bucket. I grew up wanting to please people, starting with my parents. But God has shown me that I shouldn’t want that because it is dangerous. That motive is self-serving. I want my motives purified. I want to serve others because God, through Jesus, loves me, and as His Servant, set His life down on the cross so I can be reconciled to my Heavenly Father. There is a major difference between serving the Lord and being a people pleaser. It is a sin that runs deep, but God is helping me to renew my mind with regards to that thinking.
What ways might we be people pleasers? It can happen when someone asks your opinion on a haircut, clothing, and/ or decorating idea, and you don’t want to tell them what you really think.
There are awkward situations in life that can lead us to be dishonest people pleasers. That’s displeasing to God. Our desire should be to please Him – always.
I’ve learned to not ask an opinion from someone who is prone to not telling me the truth. If I ask a question, I always want an honest answer. Sometimes I may fuss about it, but God brings me around to acknowledge the truth in the answer.
I’ve learned to say this to someone who is asking me an opinion question: “What matters is do you like it?” or “What do you think God has to say about _____?”
The following are thoughts from God’s Word on people pleasing [Remember, it is best to go to the Bible and read these verses in context to gain deeper insight.]:
Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Notice Paul’s tense in his last statement in this verse. He was, at one time, a people pleaser! Praise God that He knows how to help us change that pattern in our lives. It often comes from the desire to have people’s approval. But God tells us, through Paul, that His servants need to seek to serve Him alone, and then we are ok with people. If we please God, and someone is still dissatisfied with us, that rests on them, not on those of us seeking and serving God. Acts 24:16: “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”
Galatians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Jesus has much to say in Matthew 6 regarding our motives in our actions. Matthew 6:1 starts Jesus’ words in summary form, and the remainder of the Chapter gives practical details.
Matthew 6:1: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
As I’ve spent time pondering all of this with the Lord, I rest in His mercy and grace, not in the opinions of people.
Jesus proved He is infallible. God accepted His sacrifice for the payment for our sins. That could not have occurred had Jesus failed, even once.
Jesus proved He is infallible when He rose from the grave, by His power. Satan couldn’t hold Him there! We have our trust and hope in Him!
When Jesus fills our bucket, He fills it with His living water.
When Jesus fills our bucket, whatever people toss our way cannot empty it.
When Jesus fills our bucket, our hearts and minds are steadfastly focused on Him.
When Jesus fills our bucket, with His living water, we are to be His vessels to help others renew their minds, and find complete satisfaction in Him.
He gets all the praise, as these words point out: “When we hear a sermon that stimulates our minds, we owe praise to God, not the preacher. When we hear a new song that provokes our hearts to worship, we ought to praise God long before the songwriter.” I add: When someone encourages us, God is the Encourager who gets the praise, not the vessel He used. We should thank that person for being His tool, being certain God gets the glory.
I’m not inserting the complete Chapter of Matthew 6 ,referenced above in this writing, but if you click on “Matthew 6” in your web browser version of this writing, it should take you to the Chapter. You can also find it in the Blue Letter Bible app.
If you do not have a paper Bible, please contact me, I would be glad to provide one for you. Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2024 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.