Julie, Julia and Jesus

There's been a theme in what I think the Lord is trying to teach me right now. I've really been thinking about what it means to be filled with the Spirit. It started with a study my small group began last fall focusing on what it means to be living your life in Christ, and how to be a Spirit Filled follower of Jesus. The more we get into it I'm realizing how selfish my life has been over the past....well.....25 years. It's really not so much about me and my life, as it is about God's plan and how my life can help carry out that plan. I know, not rocket science, but still something that's hard for me to remember on a daily basis when my wants and needs seem so important.
So, the verse that's been changing my thoughts lately is Ephesians 5:18 "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." The Baptist raised brain in my head has always read that verse and heard..." don't get drunk because it's wrong" Haha, typical right? I know that it's wrong, and I agree that it's wrong, but all this time I've been missing the point in this passage. There's a second half, with some heavy instruction.
Something else that's been stuck in my mind lately is a phrase our pastor said one Sunday morning last fall. He says "As Christians, lets not let it be so much about what we're against but rather what we're for, which are the things of the Lord." When I live my life focused on trying to do things that God likes as opposed to avoiding the things he doesn't, it feels less like a set of rules to follow, and I'm excited to make the right choices because I feel like I'm making progress and pleasing the Lord. I'm a glass half full kinda gal, so when we can focus on the positive I like that.
So, when the second part of Ephesians 5:18 gives me a DO instruction rather than a DONT instruction, I like that. "but be filled with the Spirit."
So, my goal lately has been to be wasted and drunk with the Holy Spirit. I want to focus on God's plan so intently that come decision/action time there's not even a thought about choosing wrong or right. If I'm filling my mind with the things that God loves, then the actions that He loves should just pour out of me without thought!

Have you seen the movie Julie & Julia? If not, come over ASAP and we'll watch it (then we'll register for Culinary classes together). It's about a twenty something named Julie Powell living in NYC who decides to attempt every recipe in Julia Child's infamous Mastering the Art of French Cooking over the course of one year. She finds that she really admires the way Julia Child lived her life, and writes on her blog that she feels like a better person when she's under the influence of Julia Child. When the recipes get difficult and things become messy Julie has a meltdown (or two) and a big fight ensues with her husband during which she locks herself in the bathroom crying hysterically. Before storming out, her husband exclaims "You are so NOT under the influence of Julia Child right now!" OUCH. She realizes that she was being selfish, and writes a blog post about how wrong she'd been, how her husband was right, and that she wasn't acting in a way that would do Julia Child proud.

I'm Julie Powell. I pretty much constantly act in a way that doesn't make God proud. I guess it's because I'm human and I freak out when life gets hard, but I'm starting to realize how silly it makes me look. And also how little glory it brings to God. So, I'm working on being controlled by the Spirit. Not controlled by myself.

Like I said, I know, not rocket science. But knowing this and acting it are two different things. It's time to close the gap between knowing and doing. Ramblings I know, thanks for listening..err....reading.