Die .. And Be Filled.

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. - John 12:24-26

Dr. Bill Bright made the comment, "It is impossible to control ourselves and be controlled by the Holy Spirit at the same time.  ...  Christ cannot be in control if you are on the throne of your life. So you must abdicate - surrender the throne of your life to Christ. This involves faith."

And boy does it ever require faith!  But it also requires diligence to be continually looking for where I am trying to grab "my" life back.  It requires perseverance with myself at all the failures I'll experience in trying to "give" my life to Christ.  Most of all, however, it requires faith.  I have to know, even if I don't understand it, even if I can't see it, even if everything is telling me it's wrong, I have to know that what God says is truth and best for me.  And nothing else will ever be.

Paul says in Ephesians 5:18b to be filled with the Spirit.  We are to allow God's Spirit to consume us and to overflow within us.  Whenever we sense that the Spirit is diminished or withdrawing we should not stop to find the reasons why at once.  As Jesus described in the parables in Matthew 13 of the field and the pearl of great price, we should stop with nothing short of all we have to make sure this Spirit within us is full.  If this is our concentration then we'll hate this life of "only us", or a life without God,  in this world.

How do we make sure His Spirit is full within us?  We pray, we examine ourselves introspectively, we look at our outward actions and expressions of emotions, we read God's Word.  Do I line up with where God is?  We remember that God doesn't change or move.  So then, where are we?  Discover where you are.  Then pray for God's will in your life that you be filled with the Spirit.