Do not get drunk … Instead, be filled with the Spirit. — Ephesians 5:18
God has a better alternative.
Why do people drink? I’m not a drinker, but, from what I’ve observed, alcohol erases fear, shame and worries. It provides a kind of freedom and courage. It creates a bond between drinking buddies that probably wouldn’t be there otherwise.
But, of course, we all know what happens when the alcohol is gone. Drinkers wake up to discover more things to worry about and more transgressions to be ashamed of. So the urge to escape into the fantasy world of alcohol becomes even stronger.
God has a better idea. Be filled with the Spirit. He didn’t say, "Straighten up," or "Quit drinking," or "Act your age." He said, "I know you are empty inside, so let Me fill that emptiness."
For many years I went around asking people what it meant to be filled with the Spirit. I never really got an answer that satisfied me. So let me give you the answer I finally came up with. We are filled with the Spirit to the extent that we have welcomed the Spirit of Christ into every part of our lives. That means if God wants to enter our places of fear, shame and emptiness, we throw the door wide open and say, "Come on in!"
Guess what happens when God enters our places of fear, shame and worry? That pain is erased. Courage and freedom are granted. We don’t have to worry that we will wake up to discover we’ve done something wrong, because we are more awake with the Spirit of God filling us than we ever were before.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries?
Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace,
wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries.
Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being
restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in
restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and
encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord,
and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this
happens as a result of one person’s efforts, but rather this is God’s
work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We
partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with
the Lord. That’s how the supernatural happens.
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