What's Filling You?

Paul puts two things side by side that seem unrelated at first: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). Why those two together? Because both describe what happens when something has enough of you to start affecting how you talk, think, and respond.

If somebody's under the influence of something, eventually you can tell. It shapes their words, their patience, their reactions. Paul's point is that the same is true spiritually. Something is always filling you, whether you're paying attention to it or not, and whatever fills you eventually spills out on the people around you.

The people who live with you know this better than anyone. They know when work has you. They know when stress has you. They know when your phone has you. They also know when anger has you, and they know when Jesus has you. You can't hide for long what's actually filling you from the people closest to you.

Here's the honest question for today: what's filling you right now? Maybe the answer isn't complicated to say out loud, but it's uncomfortable . . . exhaustion . . . worry about your child . . . tension in your marriage . . . pressure at work that follows you home. Paul's instruction isn't "try harder" in response to any of that. It's simpler and more honest: be filled with the Spirit.

That's not the advanced class of Christianity reserved for especially spiritual people. It's an invitation for anyone who's tired of running on empty. Your family doesn't need an improved version of you today. They need a Spirit-filled version of you, and that starts with a short, honest prayer: “Holy Spirit, fill me.”

Today, whenever you're short on patience, wisdom, or energy, say those four words before you need them, not after you've already run out.