What am I Full of? - Part 1
By Mike Rule

Someone once said, "Just because something looks like an orange, it doesn't mean you get orange juice out of it!" He then proceeded to hold up what looked like a beautiful juicy orange and squeezed it. Out came the nastiest black goo you have ever seen. He then said, "You never know what is in something until you squeeze it."

So it is with us. You never really know what is in us until we are squeezed. It's what comes out in those moments that reveal what is really inside. Problems, persecution, pressure, and these type of things bring the revelation of what is truly inside of us. We can not choose our reactions to things; we choose our responses. Our reactions reveal who we really are; our responses reveal what we want to be, or know we should be. We may live in our responses, but we know what we feel inside -- our reactionary state. Some of us have gotten good at controlling our reactions. God has to continually turn up the pressure to reveal the true state of our hearts, especially to ourselves! He does not do it for others to see, but so we can see it ourselves, get sick of it and admit how desperately we need Christ's life to flow through us moment by moment.

When Christ walked this earth, His love and compassion poured out for people in all things no matter the circumstance. He wasn't offended by anything. We all know what we are like inside. When was the last time you were offended?

Peace ruled Christ's life. That same Life and peace dwells in us and is available to us if we will just admit our need. These past few weeks I've tasted just a little nibble of this and I am starving for more! I praise God for His faithfulness!