As I'm preparing for this week's Sunday morning radio program, I keep having a phrase popping into my head that I suppose could be the title for this week's show. The phrase I can't seem to shake is "under the influence;" and I would argue that, as Christians, we should be under the influence. Now, you might be a little confused or shocked by me saying this as the phrase "under the influence" has some negative connotations; but I'm not talking about being drunk or high. I'm talking about being under the influence of the Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 5:18 [KJV] says: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" That word filled in its original language is something worthy of taking a look at. The Greek word is plēroō which doesn't just mean to fill something but to fill it liberally; to fill it to the brim. You think about filling something to the brim with liquid and what tends to happen? It begins to overflow, right? To spill out. As Christians, we should be operating in the constant overflow of the Holy Spirit!
If you walk into a room full of thirsty people, it's one thing to have a jug of water for yourself; but when you've got enough water that you can begin to pour into other people's cups, that's when you can really make a difference in the room. In the same way, if we're operating in the overflow of the Holy Spirit and constantly living under His influence, we can make an impact in our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our communities and in the world around us.
It's important to remember that just because we have the Holy Spirit, that doesn't necessarily mean the Holy Spirit has us. So I'd encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit: "What parts of me do you not have?" Begin to surrender those parts of yourself to God and see what amazing things He does next! And if you'd like to hear more on the subject of the Holy Spirit's influence, I'd encourage you to join me this Sunday morning at 9am Eastern as we dive a little deeper into this subject on the Seeking Radio Show, on 93.5 WMMG.