Bye, bye flesh

I used to do a children's sermon illustration that I saw at a camp one time. You take a big clear jar and fill it with large rocks. Then you ask if the jar is full. Sometimes you get a yes if you pack the rocks to the very top. But, you then take much smaller rocks and dump them in, and if done right the smaller rocks will sink through the large ones and settle through out the jar. Then you ask again if the jar is full. After which you take sand and dump it into the jar, the sand will fill in around the rocks and settle through out the jar. You ask now if it is full, and you'll get a yes almost every time. But, if you make sure you don't pack the sand, and rocks in there too tightly you can now dump water in there. That's what this verse in Colossians is saying.
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill u in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Colossians 1:24
We should rejoice in our sufferings, especially when those sufferings involve our personal testimony. As believers in Christ we grow and grow closer to Christ. We fill ouselves with the Word of God, we attempt to fill ourselves with good things, but there are sufferiings that must come with that. It's when we think we are completely full that the sufferings usually come too. That's the water, it's when the Holy Spirit is made most real through our lives, our sufferings, that we actually become full. But we must be careful how we use the Spirit.
People will be drawn to us in many ways in life. Many people are drawn to us because of material things, wealth and power. Many will be drawn to us because of our appearances or actions. Many more still, will be drawn to us through our personalities. You personality is many times your greatest draw to friends. We must be careful, as believers Christ is calling us to be a draw because we are full of Him and the Holy Spirit. We need to fill up, with Christ, and that will automatically keep us from being full of ourselves which is easy to do. We all know someone who is full of themself, they think everything they do is going to come out smelling like roses, those are fleshly people.
God is calling me to re-evaluate myself every day so that I make certain that no one is drawn to me because of my flesh or my personality. THey should be drawn to me because of the Spirit of God permeating out of me in all that I do and say. So think about those friends that you are trying to reach with the Gospel. What means are you using? Don't use anything fleshly and you will see great results, the moment you pray that people will feel His presence in their time with you. That is my heart's desire, for people to feel like they are in the presence of someone amazingly close to CHrist when they are with me, that they will see me not as Jeff Gatlin, but as one of God's messengers.
So check your flesh, keep it in check, and have an awesome weekend!