"When we are living under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we're controlled and empowered by Jesus Christ, and He has full access and influence in every corner and quadrant of our lives. Being Spirit filled is being Christ centered. It means that Jesus controls us and is living His life through us. It has an exuberance that could almost be compared with being under the influence of alcohol." Robert J. Morgan
I agree with all Mr. Morgan has to say, except that the comparison of being filled with the Holy Spirit to being under the influence of alcohol ends with the attitude of exuberance. For being under the influence of alcohol, after the exuberant stage, almost always leads to "reckless actions", and poor choices. I don't know how many people I have heard say that most of their really bad decisions were made after overindulging in alcohol. Some of those decisions have life-altering effects, taking us off the God-designed course for our lives.
Morgan's statement, "It means that Jesus controls us and is living His life through us," really shakes me up a little bit. To think that I have the ability to allow Jesus to live His life through me and sometimes I choose not to. And I absolutely know that you can't make the decision to allow Him to have control when you have already made the decision to be under the control of alcohol or drugs. So what's our choice? Is there even an argument to be made for anything other than allowing the Spirit of the Living God to control our lives? Can we have any better option?
I believe that's why the Christian life is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment act of submission to the Spirit of God. We are either choosing to allow Him to control our lives, our choices, our actions or we are giving that control to something else. Sometimes our weak flesh, sometimes outside influences, sometimes substances. But when we don't purposefully give control to Him, we will give control to something or someone else.
Every day needs to be started with a prayer of submission, allowing God to move in our lives, to prompt us to His actions, which are never reckless or foolish. When we are Spirit-filled, we will make good choices, leading us to lives of fulfillment and ones that are God-pleasing. We will be aware of opportunities to serve others, we will give cheerfully, we will love people with a supernatural love that goes beyond dutiful love.
And you know one of the listed fruit of the Spirit that I like to dwell on most? JOY --- we will have joy, we will be joyful! If you're searching for joy in a bottle, I'm promising you it's temporary. But the joy of the Spirit is for eternity!
I agree with all Mr. Morgan has to say, except that the comparison of being filled with the Holy Spirit to being under the influence of alcohol ends with the attitude of exuberance. For being under the influence of alcohol, after the exuberant stage, almost always leads to "reckless actions", and poor choices. I don't know how many people I have heard say that most of their really bad decisions were made after overindulging in alcohol. Some of those decisions have life-altering effects, taking us off the God-designed course for our lives.
Morgan's statement, "It means that Jesus controls us and is living His life through us," really shakes me up a little bit. To think that I have the ability to allow Jesus to live His life through me and sometimes I choose not to. And I absolutely know that you can't make the decision to allow Him to have control when you have already made the decision to be under the control of alcohol or drugs. So what's our choice? Is there even an argument to be made for anything other than allowing the Spirit of the Living God to control our lives? Can we have any better option?
I believe that's why the Christian life is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment act of submission to the Spirit of God. We are either choosing to allow Him to control our lives, our choices, our actions or we are giving that control to something else. Sometimes our weak flesh, sometimes outside influences, sometimes substances. But when we don't purposefully give control to Him, we will give control to something or someone else.
Every day needs to be started with a prayer of submission, allowing God to move in our lives, to prompt us to His actions, which are never reckless or foolish. When we are Spirit-filled, we will make good choices, leading us to lives of fulfillment and ones that are God-pleasing. We will be aware of opportunities to serve others, we will give cheerfully, we will love people with a supernatural love that goes beyond dutiful love.
And you know one of the listed fruit of the Spirit that I like to dwell on most? JOY --- we will have joy, we will be joyful! If you're searching for joy in a bottle, I'm promising you it's temporary. But the joy of the Spirit is for eternity!
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