Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

There is a Baptist pastor whom I am aware of. He is an older gentleman and his church is in the Vacaville/Fairfield area. If I were asked to point to anyone who I felt was constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, he would certainly be at the top of my list. 

Remembering that our walk as disciples of Christ is a daily journey, it is during those times when we are away from church that show our true colors as a Christian. What is remarkable about this pastor is that every time our paths would cross, I would always see a peaceful smile on his lips and he would always be humming a gospel song or softly singing some Christian tune. I know that he did not know me from Adam so he was not doing it for my benefit. 

What was awesome to see was the peace in his countenance as he quietly sung to himself. These memories brought to mind a passage we find in Ephesians 5:15-21 which says, “Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This pastor was sharing a beautiful testimony with everyone who came within hearing. They saw a man at peace, softly singing songs and hymns that were undoubtedly brought to mind by the Holy Spirit. One wonders how many people took one step closer to Jesus simply because they passed by this pastor? 

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit brings to our heart various hymns and songs. Old or new, it doesn’t matter. Let us then allow our spirit to softly sing the words of praise and worship to our King of Kings. Undoubtedly, we too will host a peaceful smile that will brighten our countenance.

Pray that we will always give thanks to God for everything and in every circumstance. No matter what is happening in our life, the truth is that there is always something to thank God for.

There is only one factor to having a heart and mind filled with the Holy Spirit, and that factor is our level of desire for Jesus. The more desire we have to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, the closer we will walk with Jesus and the more we will grow a disciple of our Lord.