Filled

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness Luke 4:1

            Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit and then led by the Holy Spirit. How often have I prayed for the Spirit of God to lead me, direct my actions, guide my words, give me discernment, and on and on. And yet, I ignore or minimize the first part of this process: the necessity of being filled by the Spirit. Not “full of spirit” – oh, I can be as enthusiastic as the next guy, no, being filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. To fully respond to the Spirit of God I must be first filled with Him.

            Can we in fact scripturally determine that to the extent we are Spiritually led is directly reciprocal to the extent we are Spiritually filled? Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “… do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18). The analogy is obvious. We’ve all seen the results when someone becomes so full of alcohol that the alcohol actually takes over their behavior. That is to the extent Paul encourages us to be filled with God’s Spirit – until it literally compels our words and actions and attitudes!

            But there is another nuance to Paul’s words. Scholars tell us that the Greek verb Paul uses for “be filled” actually means “be being filled.”  In other words, this is a constant and continual process. Before we ask for God’s guidance today, lets take a moment to examine the extent of our own ability to follow that guidance – our degree of Spiritual filling.

Let’s Do Something About It

·      Try and schedule a time in the very near future when you can spend a half-hour or more alone, in a quiet, comfortable place. Consider where you hear God best – in a church, outside, in a favorite room… intentionally pick a special “date place” with God.

·      In the quiet of that place, slowly and purposefully read Luke 4:1,

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

·      Prayerfully consider, how full of the Holy Spirit are you? How surrendered are you to His influence? How aware are you of His Presence in your life? Do your words, actions, attitudes, priorities reflect His?

·      Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of His Presence in you, and fill you anew.

·      Consider journaling your insights.