Wind & Fire - ReflectionsSample

Written by Javier De La Rosa - Discipleship Minister at City on a Hill Melbourne

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Ephesians 5:18–20 (ESV)

Paul draws a clear contrast in this passage. To be drunk is to be controlled by something external and fleeting. To be filled with the Spirit is to be shaped, directed, and sustained by the living presence of God. The Christian life is not about escaping reality, but about being deeply rooted in it, under the gracious rule of the Spirit.

The presence of God is not merely something we seek privately; it is something we experience and express together. Paul describes a Spirit-filled community marked by prayerful dependence, joyful worship, and deep gratitude. These are not manufactured emotions, but the fruit of lives yielded to God. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts so the church can both draw near to God and make His presence known.

Gifts that shape prayer, worship, encouragement, teaching, and thanksgiving help us attend to God’s nearness. At the same time, these gifts reveal something to the world: a people whose lives are anchored in joy, truth, and hope that cannot be explained apart from God. When the Spirit fills the church, God’s presence becomes tangible, heard in praise, seen in love, and expressed in thankful obedience.

To be filled with the Spirit is not a one-time event, but a daily posture of surrender. As we depend on Him and use the gifts He supplies, God meets us and makes Himself known through us.

Reflect:

Based on today’s reading:

How is the Holy Spirit inviting me to respond today, for God’s glory and the good of others?

Pray:

Holy Spirit, fill me again today. Draw my heart near to God and shape my life by Your presence. Help me to use the gifts You have given so that Your nearness may be known in Your church and seen by the world. Amen.