How Full Is Your Bucket

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”

(Matthew 5:8)

Have you heard the term “are you a bucket filler, or dipper?”  The theory goes that each one of us has an invisible bucket.  We are constantly filling it or it is being emptied depending on what other people say or do to us.  When our buckets are full, we feel great!  When they are empty, we feel terrible.  In Colossians 3:12-13, God talks about his chosen people, being holy and dearly loved, he tells us we need to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, greatness, and patience.  He goes on to say that we need to bear with each other and forgive; forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Now think back to that bucket.  Every time you show compassion, kindness, greatness; all those things that make you feel good, you are filling that person’s bucket.  In return, you are filling your own bucket at the same time because now you too feel good!  Though, every time you are being deceitful, nasty, condescending, hateful; all those negative things, you are dipping into that person’s bucket while at the same time dipping into your own bucket.  Remember that time when you hurt someone’s feelings not realizing what you had said, until they get that look on their face and you think, “I never should have said that.”  It makes you feel terrible; therefore, your bucket gets emptier and emptier. 

A full bucket gives everyone a positive outlook and a sense of renewed energy; the energy that just radiates love and compassion for others.  But an empty bucket drains us of our self-worth, energy, and overall outlook on life.  Now the choice is ours to make; do we want to be a bucket filler or a dipper?  This decision will ultimately affect your happiness, health, relationships, and most of all your relationship with God.  The more Godly-like we are, the closer we get to God.  The closer we get to God, the more He draws us in.  The more we do for Him, the more He does for us; ‘we are the pure in heart’, so let’s work together and overfill all of our buckets!