Happy Mother’s Day!
Message Summary: 2 Kings 4 tells the story of a widow woman who is isolated and has nothing to provide for her sons. We may feel like we aren’t giving our kids, spouses, family, job everything they deserve. Sometimes we have this overwhelming feeling that we are falling short. We start focusing on what we don’t have or where we fail, and we forget how much we do have and where we are succeeding. Whenever we feel empty or low it’s time to check our oil.
Oil represented richness, health, the presence of the Holy Spirit and favor of God.
The woman in the story said she had nothing. But she had a small jar of olive oil. Don’t minimize what you have because of comparison. We don’t get to decide how much of a good thing we get, but we are responsible to steward what we do have. Give yourself credit for what you did accomplish, the errands, laundry, meetings etc.… you did complete, is not nothing.
It’s important to be in community because God can fill you up out of the overflow of others. Recognize what we do have as God’s favor and realize he’s not giving more until we pour out what we do have.
Our identity is not what we do. Our identity is what God says about us. He says we are strong, blessed and He really likes us.
- Why is it important to know who God says you are?
- Is your identity based on what you do or what you have? How can you see yourself the way God sees you?
- When you feel overwhelmed why is it good to “check your oil?” How can you “check your oil?”
- In what ways can you steward what God has given you instead of comparing what he has given others?
- Why is it important to be in community? Is there someone in your community you could pour into? Or someone who could pour into you?
2 Kings 4:1-7 – “The Widow’s Olive Oil – The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
1 Peter 4:10-11 – “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”