EMPTY IS NOT ALWAYS BAD

I know that you have heard the questions posed, “is the glass half empty or half full.” For me, I have a half full mindset. I  try to be positive and look for the silver lining in most situations. It is just part of my nature to be upbeat, at least most of the time. However, there are times when I find myself staring at the bottom of my glass, and I hate that it is empty.

When it comes to the gas gauge on my vehicle, it is even worse. If my gas tank is not sitting on empty, then I don’t even think about stopping at the gas station. I don’t live far from work, and I hardly ever drive more than 30 miles at a time, so gas is not something that I tend to worry about. I have been known to pull into a gas station on fumes, and I am lucky that I didn’t find myself stuck on the side of the road.

My stomach being empty is a whole different issue. Joe says that I eat to keep from being hungry. I find an empty stomach is distracting, and my energy levels plummet if I am hungry. I am never in any danger of going hungry since there is always something in the cabinets, refrigerator, or if there is gas in my car, there is plenty to eat at the store or restaurants.

If you have children, then you have probably experienced opening your wallet to get out a 20.00 bill, that you knew was in there a couple of days ago, only to find out that your wallet is empty. That happened to me a couple of times before I got smart and started hiding a 20.00 somewhere else in my purse.

What does any of this have to do with my Sunday post? Most of the time when we think of things being empty it is in a negative context. Empty means devoid, unfilled, and vacant, and those are words that we don’t like. However, when it comes to the tomb where Jesus was laid to rest, being empty was the most significant thing possible!!!

The empty tomb meant that Jesus had risen. He was/is alive, and that was a time of celebration!

Luke 24:6

⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

Today, I am excited that the tomb was empty. But, if I had been alive during the days of Christ and I found out the tomb was empty, I am not sure what my reaction would have been. I might have remembered that He said He would rise again, or I might have thought that someone had stolen His body to do something horrible. Maybe I would have been frightened, or perhaps I would have just been confused.

There are people alive today who are not excited that the tomb was empty. They might have their own confusion and doubts, and not know what to think. To them, Easter is about chocolate candy, egg hunts, and baby rabbits and chicks. But, to us believers, it is a holy day and the single most important event in all Christianity, at least according to Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:17

¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

From now on, whenever your glass is half empty, whenever your gas gauge is sitting on empty, whenever your stomach growls, or you find that there is no money in your wallet; smile and say, “He Is Risen!”

Have A Blessed Easter Sunday!