The birds are up with the sun, singing their glorious Easter Alleluias. They inspire me.
“Be filled with 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, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-21)
These three verses provide evidence of being filled with the Spirit. There is the inward evidence – “singing and making music from your heart to the Lord,” the upward evidence – “giving thanks to God for everything,” and the outward evidence – “submitting to each other in the fear of the Lord,” They correspond to the relationships we have in life:
The inward relationship is one we have with ourselves. We call it self-esteem, self-worth, or self-discovery. The outward expression of a relationship is one we have with those around us, at home, work or play. The upward relationship separates us from all other created beings, for through the workings of the Holy Spirit, we have the awesome privilege of connecting and fostering a relationship with Jesus, our Lord.
This series, Easter Afterglow, focuses on the inward connection/self-discovery to ensure we are fit to be witnesses of our risen Lord, for we will never be properly related to others until we are related to ourselves. And this cannot happen until we find our self-worth in Jesus, mirroring in our lives the “glory of this mystery…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
Let’s examine how “singing and making melody in your heart to God,” – proof of being filled with the Spirit, is related to the second rule of self-discovery, posed by A.W. Tozer in "The Pursuit of God."
Rule #2 The company we enjoy. In the outer world, our families and workplaces dictate much of the company we keep; however, it’s the people we choose to spend time with, outside of family and work, that reveal who we are. And, all of our relationships provide opportunities for witnessing. Then there is the inner world – space for the stories we tell day by day, moment by moment, through the thoughts we harbor, the beliefs we accept, and the scenes and events we rehearse in the hidden studio of our minds.
“We have this hope {salvation} as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19)
When the Spirit fills our lives, we have joy inside, even when things aren’t going well on the outside. Our hearts are filled with praise to God. Our songs aren’t sung with vocal chords; they are “sung” deep within our hearts.
Emily Dickinson, queen of the inner world, uses the imagery of nature in her writing to explore themes of spirituality, faith, and eternity. Here she captures the essence of a life filled with praise in the song of a bird:
“Hope is a thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
It sings the song without the words -
And never stops - at all.”
Take it from a bird… Be filled…
