Filled

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

‭‭Ephesians ‭5:15-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As I sit at my desk, finishing out my day, my mind has been wandering into some of the moments from my past where I was less than careful and wise with some of the decisions that I made. I recall some were foolish and hasty choices that in no way glorified God. I regret them, and at times they come back to haunt me, but in those moments I have to accept that it is God's way of keeping me from repeating the same mistakes. 

Over my last 37 years, I have learned that I need to live carefully and with wisdom. Everything I say or do will have an immediate impact, whether in a positive or negative way, on at least one other person, possibly affecting them for the rest of their lives. I have to make the most of each and every opportunity, many of which don't look like opportunities at all. What looks like hard work or an uphill battle, God may have put in my path to make me live up to the potential He sees in me. 

As a leader of men in my chosen profession, I do my best, especially during the holiday season, to make it clear to the people in my employ that I don't have a problem with them drinking alcohol in moderation, but I stress to them the dangers of using it in excess. At times I have wondered, why would anyone spend their hard earned money on something in excess that could cost them everything and destroy the lives of their families in this way. I know that at times in my own life I used alcohol as a crutch to cope with the "bad" things that I was experiencing in my life at the time. While I have seen others around me that were viably addicted to the use of alcohol, whether as a result of family genetics, overuse, or simple abuse. Time and time again, I have seen those that drank often picked friends and associates who drink as well. They simply couldn't have a good time without the alcohol. It gave them the courage to do somethings that under the soberest of conditions would seem completely foolish. 

I, personally, have never had to struggle with whether I was going to drink or not. It doesn't have control over my life in that way. But I can understand the hold that it can have on the life of someone who struggles with it. I have struggled with porn and anger in my life and I can attest to the control that they can exert over your heart and mind as you are filled to overflowing with the negative things that come from it.  Anything that fills our hearts in a way that is contrary to the Holy Spirit is ultimately bad for us. It is something that we need to seek help to rid from our lives. I couldn't rid my life of the negative without the help of the Holy Spirit and without a daily dose of His leading and mercy. The thing is, even though I seek His leading, I still struggle. That is part of being a human and realizing that I am not in control of the situation. 

So, what are you filled with?