What Are You Filled With?
Recently in our Sunday morning worship service our worship team ministered a very powerful song. The words were comprised of a personal plea to God to “empty me of everything that’s not like you”. The lyrics did not leave you at a place of emptiness, but then the plea goes on to ask God to “fill me with your power, fill me with your goodness, fill me with your presence, a love that has no limits, Lord I long to be like you”. That song is so moving and unlike many other songs, the words ring out in a personal request not a corporate statement. This is a song that must be sung from the very depths of your heart in order to touch God’s heart.
I was thinking that when we were children we could eat just about anything and it would have very few negative effects on us. We could eat sweets (cakes, candies), eat junk foods with no nutritional content, and drink sweet beverages all in one setting and it would have little adverse effect on us. Occasionally we may get a tummy ache or a “sugar high” temporarily, but it would soon pass. Nothing so bad that it would cause us not to indulge again when the opportunity presented itself. But as we mature and our bodies continue the aging process, we discover that our stomach cannot digest everything we put into it. Too much of anything can backfire on us. The wrong foods quickly disagree with our systems.
Just as it is in our natural bodies, so should it be in our spirits. Anything that is not like God, or too much of anything that is unhealthy should easily be rejected by our spirits. Just as the stomach sends a signal that something has been ingested that it disagrees with, the spirit will also send a signal that it has received something that is in opposition to the Holy Spirit. Our spirits long to be fed all that is pure, healthy, and nutritious for our spiritual growth. That spiritual food that will keep us closely connected with our heavenly Father and in right relationship with Him. We need the nourishment of those things that will sustain us in the lean times and times of difficulty. During those times “junk” will only add insult to injury, it certainly will not strengthen and build you up.
Let us not put our spirits to the test with those things we know are not good for us. We are not children any longer that test the limits just because it is pleasing to the eye. Proverbs 1: 31 says “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” Let us first ask God to empty us of anything that is unlike Him. Then fill us with only those things that will make us like Him! He is the source of everything which is good. Indeed if it comes from God it is not only good to you, but it is good for you!