Day One of my 10-year college reunion, and I have done more bar hopping than I did ever in my college days; or life as a matter of fact. I happen to be the designated driver, and I don't mind it today.
I have sat and observed people and watched as they consume this substance that changes them. I've heard many of them exclaim how this makes them into a nicer, kinder, better person. How this magical liquid courage allows them the opportunity to be and live lives that they could only dream about without it.
I've never really understood this as my self-medicated drug of choice has been chocolate. If I have a rough day a little piece of chocolate will do; it manages to bring me comfort and makes me feel at peace with the world. It's my kind of wine.
The Holy Spirit reminded me of the scriptures that say "do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit", and it makes perfect sense to me today. We have relied so heavily on our own version of wine to transform us into "Stepford" people, when God is not asking for that. Rather He is asking us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work things out from the inside out.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, Gentleness and self-control. And if we are really full of the Spirit then we are producing the fruit of the Spirit. So why do we need these other substances to "make" us into anything else? We should be so full that we are kinder, nicer people. Our lives should be full of peace that surpasses all understanding. And we would be kind and gentle not just to strangers but to our families too. So why aren't we?
Why do I still have to be soothed by chocolate? Why do friends have to have alcohol to be at peace with their world? Is it because we are not filled with the Holy Spirit?
I don't think so… I think it's a co-dependency problem… I think it's because some days we depend on the Holy Spirit and other times we depend on those substances that bring us comfort. What would it look like if we fully depended on the in-filling of the Holy Spirit rather than our earthly self soothing, self-medicating alternatives?
In my case it would change many things. it would affect my finances, my weight, my wardrobe, my style and most important my mood. Sugar is not the best for me and it makes for an inconsistent mood flow. So maybe my "stinkin thinking" needs to change and my prayer needs to be, "God, let me be filled and depend on your sweet spirit for all my comfort. Show me how to be fully filled so that my earthly vices don't replace your life giving comforter. Fill me with new wine, fresh from you, so that I may become a mirror image of your Son Jesus."
Hopefully my dependency on chocolate will change to a fullness in the Holy Spirit, but for now I take it one day at a time. 🙂
