Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
Often when we get sick, we go to the medicine cabinet. It is loaded with things that provide temporary relief from pain. If you have a muscle ache, you can take some Ibuprofen. If you have a headache, you might take Tylenol. If you have a cold and can’t sleep, you may reach for some Nyquil. These medicines help mask the pain that we are in and fix some of the nagging symptoms that we are troubled with.
In the same way that we reach for the medicine cabinet when we are ill, people in our world often have sicknesses deep within their soul. They face core issues or hurts that are unresolved, making them troubled on the inside. Many of those who are hurting also medicate just like we all do when we are sick. Their circumstances are so bad that they turn to things that are easy to escape into like alcohol, drugs, partying, hitting the casinos, pornography, or even entertainment. For others, they might medicate through achieving success, pleasing other people, or pursuing other pleasures and hobbies. Whether we are medicating on the outside or on the inside, we are often trying to fill a deeper need in our own hearts. God wants to meet us in this quest to find wholeness through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When we were a mess looking for an escape for our unresolved issues, God sent the Holy Spirit as a guide to restore us and to fill us deeply. That is why Paul reminded the church in Ephesus that they no longer had to turn to drinking because it will only make matters worse. Instead, he encouraged them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When a person trusts in Jesus, they are filled with the Holy Spirit. In that moment, you get all the Holy Spirit you are ever going to get, and all the Holy Spirit you are ever going to need. The question becomes are you allowing the Spirit to get all of you? Are you still settling for the lesser things that we often turn to in order to escape reality, or are you letting Him fill you to the brim?
God wants you to find peace, hope, and confidence in Him. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He brings a sense of wholeness to those who are broken. This week, choose to give the Holy Spirit free reign in your life and let Him fill you up.
We all struggle with trying to be filled up by things in this life. Take some time today to make out a list of things that you have tried to fill your life with that didn’t work. It could be a relationship, partying, or something that provided temporary relief, only to find it was costly in the end. After you have made that list, start writing out some ways that you can be filled by the Holy Spirit. Think through some new behaviors or even a new mindset that might help you to feel a sense of satisfaction in life.
Read Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLT)
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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