“Don’t settle for the full life- go after the filled life.”- Kyle Idleman
Still another said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.”- Luke 14:20
Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 5 of The End of Me by discussing the third guest to decline the banquet invitation. Pastor Idleman quips that this guest might be the hardest to criticize. A slap on the back and congratulations might seem to be more in order.
The message many love songs and romantic movies convey is simple: the right partner will fill your emptiness. Kyle cautions that idea causes many people to enter a relationship or marriage with a huge and false expectation- that another human being can fulfill you for the rest of your life= “You complete me.”
When the honeymoon is over, feelings of doubt or discontent may set in. It is in those moments of grappling with doubt that the thought of God flickers in our heads. Kyle says it is Jesus inviting us to the banquet. Pastor Idleman summarizes Jesus’ message in this parable:
“Stuff. Activity. Romance. And there could be others. What would be your most likely reason for walking away. What takes up space in your life that’s meant for God?”
Over a century ago evangelist Dwight L. Moody commented on making room for the Holy Spirit:
“. . . I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else. Before we pray that God will fill us, I believe we ought to pray that He would empty us.”
Today’s question (from Kyle): What takes up space in your life that’s meant for God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Helpless to be empowered”
