WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING ON EMPTY!

Have you been running on empty? There are seasons in our lives when we feel like we have nothing else left to give. This happens when we feel like we have given too much and our oil is running low and it almost seems like we have no one pouring into us. It is not a good place to be. This is because it can easily lead to despair.

Have you been experiencing this? Do you feel you have given all you could have? Maybe you volunteer somewhere and also are working, so it feels like you’ve spread yourself too thin. Or maybe you are doing the normal things you used to do but because you’ve not had time to pour into yourself, you feel exhausted and find it hard to function. Are the things you used to do becoming a chore in your life? Do you feel you need a break from life? Then maybe you might be running on empty.

In such situations, one loses the essence of who they are, and this breeds jealousy, envy, and bitterness. Have you been feeling cranky of late? Maybe you are running on empty. But do you know something? When you are in a place of emptiness we are encouraged to keep pouring? You might need a break here and there, but one thing is for sure: There is always something inside you in every season that can help others. And you are never running on empty. To help us unpack this, let us look at a beautiful scripture. Allow this scripture to speak to you and encourage you.

2 kings 4: 1-7…

In 2 Kings 4: 1-7 we have the story of a woman who lost her husband and was buried in debt to where the only choice left was to sell her sons as slaves so that she could settle her debt. This woman was obviously in turmoil. First off she had lost her husband who was her source of provision.

One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves.”
2 Kings 4:1 MSG

In those days, women could not work therefore, their fathers, husbands or sons were their source of security and provision too. Now she was about to lose her sons, who were her hope of provision in the future. Sons were considered to offer provisions for their parents in their later years. They were also their source of security too. She was hopeless and did not see any other way out. Can you relate? Do you feel like your well has run dry and there is nothing else left to give?

So, as a last resort, she turned to Elisha the prophet to ask for help. What Elisha asked was kind of irritating. Imagine going to someone for help and what they do is ask you what you have in you. I mean, why would I come to you for help if you are going to ask me to give you a solution myself? If I had the solution, why would I come to you? Wouldn’t this annoy you, too? Anyway, the woman said that she had nothing except a jar of oil. Elisha then tells her to go to her neighbors and borrow as many jars as she could and take them to her house.

Elisha said, “I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.” “Here’s what you do,” said Elisha. “Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside.”

She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, “Another jug, please.” He said, “That’s it. There are no more jugs.” Then the oil stopped. She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, “Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what’s left.”
2 Kings 4:2‭-‬7 MSG

Once she had done that, Elisha told her to go back to the house together with her sons, close the room and use that tiny jar of oil to pour into the borrowed jars. He then told her to go sell the jars of oil and use the money to settle her debts. The rest she used to live off together with her sons. Wow! Who would have known that that jar of oil would be her source of breakthrough? Let me ask you this, what do you have in your hand today?

2 lessons to learn from the story to help us understand we are not running on empty!

You are not running on empty, there is always something left in you!

The woman did not think that the only thing left which was a jar of oil could be of help to her. After all, it was little and almost empty. She assumed that there was nothing she could give to get herself out of the predicament she was in. How wrong she was. One thing we always have to remember is that we always have something to give in every season of our lives, regardless of how insignificant we feel. There are gifts, talents, etc that we can give. God is very much interested in our empty places because He can only move through us when we get to the end of ourselves. He loves working in our empty spaces.

In what areas do you feel you are running on empty? Can you relate to this woman? Have you experienced losses that have left you depleted and you don’t feel you have anything else left to give? Maybe you are in some form of wilderness and feel you have just run dry and can’t pour on anyone else. Or maybe because you lost your job you assume that because you cannot offer financial support, then you can’t be of help to anyone? Have you found yourself unable to offer the same support you used to?

Are you in a season where you are running on empty? Do you feel you have nothing left to give? Or maybe there have been shifts in your life that have left you unsure of your purpose. Or maybe you are a parent and your children are now grown up and don’t need you, and this makes you feel redundant.

Whatever the case may be, just remember that you have something that you can pour into others. You might not have the position you used to, but your experiences and skills are still inside you. Just because you don’t have the same power you used to doesn’t mean the skills and knowledge left. You can still help. You might need to change your strategy, but the point is you are still needed. It could be as simple as sending an encouraging word to someone or even just praying for them. Maybe even listening and being there for someone who is hurting. Whatever it is, you have it in you. There is always something you can give.

The beauty about God is that He will never allow you to run out and be depleted. He will always leave you with something that you can do in every season.

Repurpose your knowledge and skills. What you have is still valuable. Maybe you need to the same skills differently. But I promise you there is something left to offer. Moses’ rod had different uses in different seasons. On one occasion, the same rod, he used it to cause havoc in the Egyptians. And in another occasion, he used to save the Israelites by parting the Red Sea. How can you use the skills you have? Could it be that God wants you to start a blog or a YouTube channel? Maybe you could create course to equip others with the same skills. Whatever you feel God is leading you to do, do it. Who knows, that could be the very thing God uses to catapult you.

God will use what you have to get you to your next level.

That little jar of oil the widow had became the very thing that translated her out of poverty to wealth. Many a time, we copy what others have done to be successful. However, what we cannot realize is that just because it worked for them doesn’t mean it will work for us as well. Success comes when we are walking in our God-given purpose and calling. This is because walking in our God-given purpose and calling means it has the backing of God. Everything backed by God will always succeed. When we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can be sure of success and victory. Sometimes the instructions might seem orthodox or even crazy. But when we are obedient and faithful, we will get our miracle.

God will sometimes take away things, whether jobs, businesses, or even people that are holding us back to get us to reveal what He put inside us. It can be scary starting over, but it can also be very rewarding. And the thing we have to realize is that God already gave us the avenue we need to get to our purpose and actually live it out. God was not satisfied having the widow just pay off her debts. He wanted her to thrive too. And this is what God wants for you and me. We were never meant to survive, but also thrive. He wants to see us win and come out victorious. But the only way we can get out of that rut is to use what God has placed inside us.

Conclusion

You might have a passion and boldness to speak, if so, you can start a podcast or a YouTube channel. You could start a book club or write your own. God could have placed a desire in you to help others with their finances and so forth. Either way, you can turn your hobby and passion into a career. And you can let the Holy Spirit lead you. You just need to start with one paragraph, one podcast, and one video and soon you will have an idea for the next one. Just take a step at a time and a day at a time.

Keep pouring into others and always remember that the more you pour out, the more God pours into you. It might not seem like it, but even in those empty spaces, God is still working. He has so much for you and He has not brought you this far to leave you here. Trust His leading and follow His instructions and see yourself grow and bloom.

God can use the leftovers. He is interested in what you have left. God will never ask you to use something that is outside your reach. What He wants you to do is within your reach. And when you trust Him, He will use that small thing and out of it grow something grand. Through Abraham, a nation called Israel was born. He used an army of 300 people to fight the Midianites. Jesus multiplied the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and fed a multitude. I hope this helps you realize God will use the small things in your life. He will do some tweaking here and there but you can be sure He will use what you already have.

Don’t look down on yourself, thinking that you have nothing left to give. There is so much God wants you to do. And if you let Him, you will experience the abundantly, He ordained for you.