Under the Influence Uzorak

Living Under the Influence

We are all under some influence, in one way or another. I invite you to ask yourself about this and try to think about what things are influencing your life.

When I understood that being filled with the Spirit is something continuous and not just an event, my life was transformed. Because it is not just a mystical event, it's something that happens naturally and continuously, because the Spirit of God is an inexhaustible source.

But many prefer one event, coming to church on Sunday to "fill up", rather than seeking the Spirit of God every day. Let's not reduce this ongoing experience to an event. Ephesians 5:18 has always fascinated me, because it says, "Do not get drunk on wine that leads to unruliness. On the contrary, be filled with the Spirit.

Why be filled on a daily basis? Because we cannot be the husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters that God has called us to be without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is power, miracle, ability; where you cannot, The Holy Spirit can. The Holy Spirit is meaning and strength for the weak.

At Pentecost they were all together, in the same place, and they could all understand what was happening. Why? Because the Holy Spirit always brings clarity. Living under the influence of the Holy Spirit makes us understand, opens our minds, and empowers us to speak the wonders of God to those who do not yet know Him.

We all have the possibility of living under the influence of the Holy Spirit. God did not pour out on just a few, but instead even those who had not been baptized by water received the same Spirit on the day of Pentecost. God does what He wants, when He wants, and with whom He wants. There are no human formulas or liturgies that can contain or determine what He will do in and through us. God cares about our hearts.

I encourage you to give the Holy Spirit a place in your life today. Without His influence, it is impossible to live all that God has called us to live. Without Him we are empty and without strength, but in Him we are filled with dunamis: strength, ability and miraculous power!

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask that you fill me up, that my relationship with you be a constant experience, so that I can be what you have called me to be and influence others. In Jesus' name. Amen.