How to Live a Spirit-Filled Life
Share
We hear about it from pastors, we learn about the fruits of the spirit in Sunday school, but what really is a Spirit-filled life? Recently, my husband and I have had conversations about the difference between having the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is honestly scary to think that a person could go his whole life headed for Heaven, but not encountering the fullness of the presence of the Lord on the way there. This topic can be confusing, so here is a breakdown of how to live a Spirit-filled life.
So many times, we make things more complicated than they ought to be in life. Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask, seek and knock and the door will be opened. Start off your day asking Christ to fill you and to guide you. Ask Him to overtake you and work through you. This comes with a great deal of trust that He will perfectly direct our steps. It will not always be easy, in fact, many times it will prove challenging and against our fleshly nature. However, asking can lead to actions of obedience. Then, we see and are a part of the work of God.
2. Expect
Romans 5:5 tells us that God poured out His love for us by giving us His Spirit. If you are a believer this means that you have full access to the Lord! You have the Spirit inside of you. This means that you can operate through Him. Be thankful and praise God for such an incredible gift (Luke 11:13). Expect Him to work.
3. Seek the Scriptures
One of my all-time favorite prayers before spending time in the Bible is my own paraphrase of Luke 24:45. I pray something like, “Lord, would you please open my mind to understand your Scripture.” One of the greatest gifts of being Spirit-filled is understanding God’s Word. The Holy Spirit enables us to comprehend what the Lord is saying in the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:12). The beautiful adventure is that we are always learning and growing.
4. Be Available
Many times our issue is not that we are not filled by the Spirit, but we are too busy ignoring Him to be used by Him. Acts 5:32 teaches us that we are His witnesses, and so is the Holy Spirit. When we live in tune with God’s Spirit in us, we are capable of seeing our great Lord work in and through us. Having a “Lord send me” mentality creates a heart of openness and desire to pray and see how we can be a part of the great commission to make disciples of all nations. This includes even our next-door neighbors.
Are there other ways you can think of to live by the Spirit? A life surrendered to Jesus is an exciting life. The narrow road can be difficult, but it leads to life and peace. May we ask, expect, seek, and be available to the Spirit. By His power, we can access love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We can live on mission for the sake of Jesus Christ each day.
More from this author
Why Is the Devil Compared to a Roaring Lion?
What Does It Mean to Be Faithful in the Little Things?
7 Ways to Rebuild Community after COVID
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/coffeekai
