A Worthy Resolution: Life poured out

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering …

—Paul the Apostle (2 Tim. 4:6)

Paul may be the MVP of Christianity. He was awesome. We aren’t all called to live lives of such severe suffering and service as missionaries, but we are clearly called to follow his example, his pattern of life (Phil 3:17). Most of the practical New Testament exhortation, on how to follow Christ and grow in godliness, is written by Paul.

And what characterized his life was this: Being poured out.

In Philippians 2:17 Paul says,

“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”

Here Paul is referring to a sacrifice in a very real way—losing his life. But all of Paul’s life was a drink offering, in that he was constantly and continually poured out for the sake of others. At the very end of his life, he says it again:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come” (1 Tim. 4:6). 

Paul’s life was one long process of God pouring in to him and pouring him out. And we are the glad recipients, yes? It’s safe to say that we have the heard the gospel because, nearly 2,000 years ago, Paul was faithful to pour out his life. Everything he did, he did for the sake of the gospel, for his fruit to be picked.

Personally, I believe what separates the red-hot, radical, powerful, effective believers from the lukewarm, weak, ineffective ones is just this: A ready willingness to be poured out. We often wonder why Christianity in closed countries so rapidly spreads, why believers in hostile nations are so powerful and effective, why miracles happen in desperate third-world nations but not as much here. Could it be that those who embrace Christ in a way that costs them everything are readily accepting that being poured out isn’t an optional part of the gospel?

Here in America, we often treat this pouring out as Christian Extra Credit. It’s not really part of the gospel, it’s just for those who want to be spiritual over-achievers. In fact, in some circles we seem to celebrate this form of mediocrity, somehow equating it with humility.

The same way that the exceptional student may be ridiculed by his peers in school, the person passionately pursuing a life poured out for the sake of others can often be left open to criticism. It’s Tall Poppy Syndrome in the spiritual life. Paul had scores of people around him who criticized his choices, accused him of self-seeking or preaching for profit, but Paul didn’t care. He pursued a life poured out regardless of the mediocre mud-slingers all around.

But let’s just be honest, most often our problem is not that we’re being criticized for wholeheartedly following Christ. Most often my problem is I’m embracing some self-focused form of supposed sanctification that in reality only leads to greater pride and self-satisfaction. If a course of growth doesn’t lead me to greater desperation, to greater dependence, to greater giving, greater sacrifice, greater humility … then, quite frankly, it isn’t greater.

C.S. Lewis said it like this:

Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good—above all, that we are better than someone else—I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. (Mere Christianity, p.124)

But the book title See Yourself as a Small, Dirty Object by Friday just won’t sell many copies. Right? No one wants to really understand how utterly depraved they really are.

And yet.

Freedom is found in understanding we’re worse off than we ever imagined and more loved than we ever dared dream.

Big, life-changing revolutions begin with small, day-changing resolutions which begin with even smaller moment-changing decisions. May you choose this week, moment by moment, to pour out for the sake of others, for the glory of God.  Thanks for reading.