“And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

The power of drink.

When someone is drunk, you can smell it on their breath. It changes their walk. Changes their talk. Changes how they see the world around them.

The same with being filled with the Spirit. We can be so full of God’s Spirit that our walk is different, our talk is different, and the atmosphere around us is different.

I also thought about how some people are just social drinkers.  They only partake when they are around others who are doing the same thing. Drinking is not their life. Only on certain occasions will they decide to drink a little. Just enough to let others know they are sophisticated.

May I not do that spiritually. May God be my life, to where I’m pursuing Him in church where others see, but also to where I’m pursuing Him throughout my day when others have no idea. Seeking the Spirit not just to look “sophisticated” and “spiritual.”

In addition, some individuals only drink in moderation. They don’t want to get drunk.  They still want to have control of their body.

May we not be this way with godliness and righteousness. Some just want enough of God to feel good, but they are not ready for God to have His full will and way. They still want to have a say in what they do, where they go, and who they associate with. For what if when they gave God everything they became radical? However, there is a place we can get that we are so full of the Spirit that we no longer have control of our lives, opinions, or our responses. Not robots, but living, willing sacrifices.

I’ve even heard of people who drank so much alcohol that they started sweating it from the pores of their skin.  They were that full!  Am I so full that holiness just oozes out of me?

Being a social drinker doesn’t earn one the title “drunkard.”  For the alcoholic, alcohol is their life. It’s where all their money, time, and energy is poured into. It’s what they talk about with their buddies. No one has to ask where they are on weekend nights. All the bars know them on a first name basis. Their life is consumed.

When you are filled with God Himself, God is your life. Church, revivals, the Word, prayer…it’s where all your money, time, and energy is poured. When you talk to your friends, family, or the cashier at Walmart, God is in your conversations. No one ever wonders where you are on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, or even Wednesday nights. Your life is consumed by God; He is your sole focus.

I want my life to be marked by the Spirit. May I be “under the influence.” Under His influence. May my whole life revolve around the Spirit.

We can be as spiritual as we want to be.  We can have as much of God as we want.  But are we willing to be that radical?  Do we want to be filled with the Spirit?