"...let the Spirit fill your life." Eph. 5:18 (CEV)
My mind is spinning from a Jim Cymbala DVD. I'm having a hard time organizing my thoughts because so much of it is the next phase of putting into practice everything God has been teaching me this month. The timing of it all amazes me, and I wish I could go to coffee with some of you and dialogue about it.
Cymbala mentioned on the DVD -
- There's a difference between having the Spirit living in us and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
- There's a difference between being a Christian and being a Spirit-filled Christian.
- Eph.5:17-18 - is actually a military-style command in the original language - so we are supposed to be continuously filled.
- Filled does not mean like a glass of water. It actually means being controlled.
- The key to a Spirit-filled life is to humble ourselves.
- (And my fav):It's not about what you are doing; it's about what you are becoming.
So what does that mean for me, on this journey toward a full life?
It means I have to daily ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit - to be empowered. I don't believe this empowerment is for anything super-spiritual or hyper-emotional, although at times it can have a charismaticl/emotional component. I believe first and foremost that this empowerment that comes from God's Spirit is for obedience.
Deciding to ask daily to be filled with God's Spirit is a huge commitment. It means God may use me in ways that take me out of my comfort zone. It means He is going to be producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in me - and those things aren't produced in a comfy little bubble. It means to whom much is given, much is required.
Am I ready? I think so.
The alternative is to miss out on the most intimate, exciting, adventurous, and loving relationship I could ever have. The alternative is to have a half-full life, which is not a full life at all.
So we are stepping out in faith, The Hubs and I, after so many discussions lately, including one last night on this topic. We aren't sure what it will look like or where God will lead, but we are asking Him to show up and to move in our home, in our lives. We want the full life for which we were created.