FILLED!

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     We often hear that we are to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit – and we are!  The Holy Spirit is our source of life and power, and without Him, we cannot minister effectively to anyone.  But, we cannot obey a command we do not understand.  What exactly does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and how do we get there from here?

     First, let’s understand what it is to be filled.  Imagine for a moment a cup full of water.  The cup’s sides are solid, the bottom is intact, and the water is contained.  We could pass this cup around the room indefinitely and nothing is spilled – no one gets wet!  For this reason, we are generally told to be “filled to overflowing” in order for the water (Spirit) to be spilled onto others.  We ask God to fill us and pour more and more Spirit into us until we reach this overflow. Fill us and spill us!  For the most part, we are taking a passive stance and asking God to move.  But is this what scripture teaches???

     As we read what the New Testament teaches about the Holy Spirit, we will begin to see that He abides – or lives – within us!  He is in us to stay!  He does not come and go, we do not give Him away to others, and we don’t get “more” of Him.  We are told to learn from Him, walk with (in) Him, and receive from Him, but never to get more of Him or to empty Him from ourselves.  He is a PERSON, so unlike the water in the example, He is either there or He isn’t.  Rest assured that if you are truly Christ’s, He’s there.

     So, we have some understanding of what it means to walk with Him, but what about being filled with him???  How does that work? 

     The original Greek word translated “filled” translates also (when used figuratively, as it is in this case) to "permeated" or "saturated".  Do you see the difference?  A cup is not permeated with water.  Rather than picturing a filled cup, let’s consider a filled sponge…

     If a sponge is placed in water, it becomes saturated!  Whether dripping wet or not, any water in a sponge affects those it touches.   If you pass around a wet sponge, everyone gets wet!  When we are “filled” with the Holy Spirit, we are likewise saturated, and others cannot help but be affected in some way by the Holy Spirit!!!  Only when the sponge dries out (or we allow ourselves to dry out spiritually) are others unaffected.

     So, here it is….. the Holy Spirit is within us – always!  Think of Him as a pool of water and yourself as the sponge.  Spend time in (with) Him!  (Prayer, worship, study of scripture are all examples of ways in which we do this.)  Soak in Him – soak Him up!  When you do, you will BY DESIGN minister the Spirit to those around you!  Just remember, time away from Him causes us to begin to dry, and, as we do, we are less and less effective until, ultimately, we are useless.  Soaking ourselves in Him (through relationship) must be a discipline in our lives if we are to do His work.