The Apostle Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 5:17 to “be filled with the Spirit.” What exactly does that mean?

The tense of the Greek translated here as “filled” is one that means being continually filled with the Spirit — as an ongoing state of being. You may think this is mysterious or difficult spiritual exercise, but that is not so. By that I mean, you are “filled” with whatever preoccupies your life.

In the fall, football fans are filled with or focused on their favorite teams. Gardeners are filled with the continual needs of their growing things. Our chosen occupations require us to be filled with what we do — to be entirely occupied with a matter every hour we are at work.

Being filled with the Spirit is the same. It is like anything that naturally fills your heart and holds your attention. Paul is simply saying, Be occupied with the Spirit. Think about Him, learn about Him, learn to respond to Him. Have faith that He is always present with you, as the Lord’s gift to you in your New Covenant salvation.

Being filled with the Spirit is a choice, a choice among all the choices you make every day about what or who you will give your attention. It is choosing to (1) believe in the Spirit’s presence with you, and (2) respond to Him.

This is the purpose of faith, and making these choices is a show or demonstration of your faith. If you really believe the Spirit dwells with you, how can do you do anything but pay attention to Him?

The Spirit’s invisibility is a challenge, but He has given you a faculty to help with that: the ability to imagine. I wrote about how I used this to build a better relationship with the Lord in a devotional entitled “Imagination: God’s Gift To Help You See.”

Using my imagination helped me transition from trying to talk to a deity far away, to talking to a Person right with me. Always with me, always listening, whose purpose Jesus declared to be my helper, teacher, guide and comforter. I wanted that. I needed it! I had to get over the bigness of God and focus on believing in the nearness and personal ministry of God. Jesus would not lie. He would not hint at one thing and give another. He meant what He promised.

When I began to imagine the Lord the Spirit always right with me, it signaled to the Holy Spirit that I believed in His Presence, ready to respond and honor Him with attentiveness.

Awareness of the Spirit comes as faint impressions in which I sense His moods, desires, or leading. I have by turns felt His love, patience, grief, disappointment, and joy. It is a sweet companionship, and I feel privileged. I have gotten past the idea that it couldn’t be this easy, but I have, in all these years, never lost the wonder that God desires to personally dwell with me, and paid the highest possible price to make it possible.

The last thing I say every night before going to sleep is to the Spirit. I tell Him I love Him, and thank Him for the day we shared. The first thing I do upon arising is say, “Good morning, Holy Spirit!” After all, I do the same thing with my husband; it would be rude not to acknowledge the Presence of my other constant companion.

I say with the Apostle Paul, be filled with the Spirit, beloved!