Being filled with the Spirit…

 

Being filled with the Spirit of God is not the same as having a dual personality, yet it is like that. Those who experience this often say and do things that they remember yet forget, that they wonder “where did that come from?” Yet they know it was the Spirit and not themselves.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

This verse sort of describes it but not entirely. It is more like:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

And even this isn’t quite it because the love of God is not focused on me and is without self-evaluation. He puts the focus on others, so thinking I am patient and kind is a self-evaluation that ruins it.
Consider also the idea of master. In the original language, this word is sometimes translated  “master” as in the owner of something, but sometimes translated “Lord” when it refers to Jesus. Why the difference? Jesus put it this way:

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)

Sometimes Jesus referred to Himself as “master,” at least in my ESV translation.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:20)

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. (John 13:13)

Yet the idea of “master” contrasts with the idea of friends, implying another kind of relationship. This contrast shows up in the story of the prodigal. The straying son returned and was treated with a loving embrace and a party. However, the older son who had lived under the father’s felt badly used, and he said:

Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him! (Luke 15:28–30)

This person slipped from being a partner with his father to the attitude of a misused slave. This story and the above references point to the difference in attitude that comes when I am controlled by the Holy Spirit or when I am walking according to my old sinful nature called the flesh. One is a friend of Jesus more occupied with love for others than having my way.

In contrast, the flesh is about living for me, my way and my wants, doing things out of obligation rather than love, resenting the blessing of God on others, and feeling like God is simply too bossy. To have a Lord and Master is not the same thing as being mastered. To know the love of God pushes thoughts of self into oblivion and brings love for Him and for others out of my heart.

PRAY: Jesus, this is good counsel for me today. I do have plans, but also hear Your voice concerning the needs of others. I want to obey You, but not with the sense of obligation but because I love You. For that, I know my need to be filled with Your Spirit for otherwise my sinful self will take over and will certainly ruin everything. I confess to You that I belong to You and have been called Your friend. Fill me today that I may act like one, and be more concerned with others rather than being selfish and wanting to do my own thing.

Having nothing…

For the past few weeks I’ve felt that I want something, but I don’t know what it is. Less work? A change of pace? A new location? Someone to step up and take some of my responsibilities? Maybe just more contentment? This nagging feeling does not make contentment easy. It keeps at me without identifying itself. Is it part of getting older? An evidence that I want to be in heaven where all is perfect? Yet I’m aware of a deeper desire for big challenges. I don’t like ‘normal’ but thrive on change.

Being alone is okay even though I’m much more interested in meaningful conversations than ever before. My hubby says to be content, but for a person who likes challenges, a sane pace and a relatively normal life can seem terribly boring at times. I woke up at 4 am thinking of how to create an online photo album for our family, as if there is nothing else to do.

Today’s reading begins with this truth:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17–18)

Thinking about the changes Christ gives, I’ve learned that God activates spiritual motivations when He gives new life to His people. My spiritual gifts include teaching, which is described as being an information-gatherer who wants to share what they find. My old nature had that motivation but used it for self, such as becoming a collector of useless information, even useless stuff, however, this gift includes an insatiable curiosity that goes non-stop. Part of that is wanting to know things about people but even that comes with a problem; many people wear layers and do not want to reveal their real selves. I easily detect that and become quickly bored with layers.

The reading says that everything that belongs to my old nature has passed away or become useless in Christian living. So that means I’m to love others even if they are ‘layered’ and be kind, not bored with them. For me, this is difficult and can be arrogant and not easy to deal with.

Two verses give me some fresh ideas:

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ….If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations which have no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:8; 20-23)

The world’s way is to feed on what pleases me. God tells me to listen to Christ, to let Him be my example and my strength. He said, “Not my will, but thine be done.” If my will is what I’m describing in this desire for new things, then I need to make sure that those things fit with the will of God, not something to merely satisfy my desires, vague as they seem right now. Anything that is sought out by “flesh,” must always be “nothing” in the sight of God. But if I am seeing things with His eyes, those “I wants” will be nothing in my own sight. He also says:

We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:3–10)

The last sentence speaks to this vague desire. I can rejoice in making others rich “as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” Only in Christ, not in the old me or the old way of satisfying myself. I need Jesus and the satisfaction He gives, then pass it on.

PRAY: This fretting has seemed complex, perhaps because I’ve taken my eyes off the simplicity that is in You, Jesus. Just fill me with Your Spirit. I cannot be ‘nothing’ unless You are ‘everything’ in my heart.