Be filled with the Spirit…

Ephesians 5:18

 

So often, we live lives that are out of control. The train is off the tracks, headed straight towards a dangerously sharp curve on the side of a mountain, and surely to crash in a heap of twisted metal. There will be no survivors, yet it could have been completely avoided had the right person been in charge of the train.

That wreckage is a clear picture of the Christian life. We’re navigating the train and have no clue how to slow it down, steer it correctly, or experience the joy of the ride. Maybe it’s time to turn over the controls.

 

Be Filled is a Command

Whenever God commands something of us, it is for our good, not to restrict our joy. People repeatedly look at God this way. They think God is only out there to keep us from experiencing the joy we could by involving ourselves in the other “fun” activities in life. The problem is that God’s purpose for us is so much higher than a temporary high of doing what makes us happy for a day or a season. 

God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Would God really command us to do something that would not significantly benefit us? I’m sure that He would not do that (Romans 8:28). 

So what does it mean to “be filled?”

 

Be filled is a Control issue

At some point in our lives, we must learn to let go of the control and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. Vance Havner, a North Carolina pastor who died some years ago, put it like this, “The average Christian is so subnormal that when one becomes normal, everybody thinks he is abnormal.” That is one of the most profound things I’ve read in a long time. When a Christian follows the command to be filled, He releases control of his life, choices, opinions, speech, and actions to the Holy Spirit. That is what it means to be filled. 

 

Be Filled is a Choice

This choice is where it becomes real to us. To be filled is a decision every believer must make. When people come to faith in Jesus, they are immediately indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in his/her life (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). At that point, we have a choice to make. We either allow the Holy Spirit to control every area of our lives, or we hold on to some areas for us to eventually mess up.

Which areas of your life do you need to relinquish to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead you today? How will you make a significant change in your life to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you this week?