Greetings in Christ,
When we say someone is “full of it” what comes to mind? It usually is something derogatory in nature, but we roll with it laughing because we think it is funny. We associate being “full of it” with a negative connotation in that we feel a person may be onerous in nature, or they could be full of themselves. However, when we apply the term being “full of it” we generally think the opposite of being good.
We can apply it in another way from the spiritual sense. Being infilled with the Holy Spirit could be “full of it.” We have a harder time associating being “full of it” with the infilling of the Holy Spirit because it seems to be somewhat limited in people today. Going to church still may be on the schedule, but to really get into the word and pray seems to be far off for many people. Sunday becomes the once a week fill up which only lasts till Monday morning.
It has been so easy to compartmentalize our lives into segments of time throughout the week doing our duties as assigned according to our demanding schedules. We leave out that block of time for prayer and reading the word feeling like we do not have enough time to get it done on our already crammed schedule. By the end of the week, we feel run down and beaten by the world and its rigors it has imposed on us. We come crawling to church to get our weekly booster only to have it last till Monday morning. Being “full of it” literally means we are full of the world’s demands enslaved to the humdrum life which has no outlet for rest and peace.
Paul writes to the Colossians about being full of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Paul starts out by saying he has been praying for them to take time to spend with Jesus so they could be full of His wisdom and understanding. He writes on to say Jesus was in the beginning when everything was created, and He holds everything together. This world was created as a kingdom for Him, and He proved He was the right King by pleasing His Father coming to earth to die on the cross. Paul wanted them to realize they were not being full of the right things.
It is not always easy to get up a little earlier in the morning, or to turn off the television during our favorite program, but what are we trying to be full of? If our desire is to be full of Jesus, we will find the time to spend with Him. Even Jesus the Son of God had to go off to be by Himself to pray. He did not walk on this earth in His strength alone, but with the help of His Father and the Holy Spirit.
To be full of His wisdom and understanding we must spend time with Jesus. He is our King and Savior, and He is the only one who can give us the rest and peace we so desperately seek. It is in the combination of the rest and peace the wisdom can be understood, and it can be applied to our lives. It is then we can see the truth and recognize what is truly important and what is not important. Our schedules begin to change, and we are more focused on the things to be full of which gives us true life. If we take the time of practicing being “full of it” with Jesus as the center of our lives, perhaps being “full of it” will not have the negative connotation to it we usually associate with it.
God’s intention was not for the world to have dominion over mankind, but rather for mankind to be in a relationship with the One who created it. Take time to be full of Jesus, and you will find rest and peace. Perhaps being “full of it” will become a positive thing for all of us.
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth my soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
and rescues them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:1-14
Lord may You be the center of our lives and may we continually seek You. Amen
Blessings,