Ready for a Refill?
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. - (Ephesians 5:18–19)
Let’s say that you went out and bought a new car. You are driving it around happily for the first week-and-a-half, when suddenly, inexplicably, it sputters a little and stops. So you call a tow truck and have it taken back to the dealer. You tell the salesman, “I just bought this car. You sold me a lemon. It doesn’t run anymore.”
The salesman asks to see your keys, turns on your car, and notices that your fuel light is on. He says, “Did you ever put gas in this car?”
“No. I thought it was electric.”
“No, it is not electric. You need to refuel your car.”
It is the same way in the Christian life. We charge along, and things are going well. But then we start to sputter. Maybe life even comes to a standstill. We wonder what is wrong. The question is, have you refueled lately? You need to be filled with the Spirit.
This is not just a one-time event. Ephesians 5 tells us, “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs . . .” (Ephesians 5:18–19). From the original language, this verse could be translated, “Be constantly filled with the Spirit.” We need to get refills from God.
Contextually, this statement in Ephesians 5 goes on to address the family, talking about husbands and wives and fathers and mothers. So God is saying, in effect, that if you want to be a good husband, then you need to be filled with the Spirit. If you want to be a good wife, then be filled with the Spirit. If you want to be a good parent, then be filled with the Spirit.
We need God’s help to do everything He has called us to do.
Summary sentence: We need to be fueled daily with God’s Holy Spirit!
Tags: Holy Spirit, filed with the Spirit
Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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