During our time in Thailand we visited many Buddhist temples.
It was extremely shiny.
Everywhere you looked there was gold this and gold that,
almost too much for the eye to take in.
As we walked through the temples I covered myself and my husband in prayer and expected to feel…well…something.
I have an extremely sensitive and discerning heart.
After everything I have learned from living in different countries and experiencing spiritual warfare first hand, I know better than to take spiritual climates lightly.
As I walked through the temples…I felt something strange.
Something I have never experienced in a place of worship.
I felt….
NOTHING.
There was no presence of anything at all. Just EMPTINESS.
Emptiness is a key concept in Buddhism.
The phrase "form is emptiness; emptiness is form" is celebrated in Buddhist philosophy.
In Christianity we commonly speak about the "Fullness of Christ."
Full is the exact opposite of empty. God fills us up- he doesn't empty us out. I feel so full with joy sometimes that it has no choice but to leak out of my pores.
There is much in scripture about "fullness":
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your
right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
And the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:14
And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16
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God is an overflowing fountain. Jesus is BOSS. He doesn't just fill us to fullness. He fills us so much that it creates an overflow. He fills us beyond what we could possibly need. He fills us until our cup runeth over.
When we worship and talk to Him he fills up our Mind, Body, and Soul with his truths. Time spent with Him heals the body and mind and leaves the spirit lifted. When we have lost our way and decide in a moment to refocuse on Him, our day can completely change course for the better. He is a powerful, LIVING God.
While we were in Thailand.I spent time with a young Buddhist woman. During a great chat with her I wanted to ask her how she was doing spiritually. My Christian friends and I often ask each other
"What is God teaching you right now?" or "How is God moving in your life?"
We phrase it this way because He is constantly teaching and moving
and we in return are constantly learning and growing.
So I asked my new Thai friend in the same way I would ask my friends but according to her beliefs;
"What is Buddha doing in your life right now?" "How is he moving and teaching you?"
She seemed confused. Her God wasn't living and breathing.
She explained that she didn't actually feel Buddha's presence or hear from him.
Her act of worship was taking food to the spirit houses and leaving money in the temples.
"The Buddha" didn't change her life in a tangible way.
She was fascinated with the idea of a LIVING God that taught and spoke to me personally.
The idea that there was a God that lavished me with wisdom, love and spiritual gifts excited her.
She knew He could do the same for her.
When we worship Christ he requires no food, money, or gold. He created those things. They already belong to him. All he requires is love.
To continually experience Christ’s fullness we need to spend time nurturing our union with him. We nurture our relationship with Jesus by becoming more aware of his Spirit within us, by being filled with his word (Eph 5:18b; Col 3:16a), and by being obedient to his word. But it begins with love. Jesus promised, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23
