Week Thirty-Two - There's a Bad Wind Rising

 

Like as the wind fills the sails of a boat, whatever controls us directs our path.

So many Scriptures flood my mind as I read that little sentence encouraging me to consider carefully what wind is blowing through my life. Am I allowing anger to fill my sails? Do I think I have no power to control the wind or change course? Am I like a city without walls, and the wind is blowing everything of value away? Am I yielding to excuses or labels and failing to recognize my responsibility and God's power?

Years ago, God brought a little piece of Scripture to my heart and hammered it into my mind. 1 Corinthians 6:12 reads, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."

I can do whatever I want, but not everything is good for me. Not everything is a wise choice. What I choose becomes the wind in my sails. It powers my life and eventually brings me under its power. So, what wind do I want driving my life?

This is the idea of Ephesians 5:17-21. Whatever we are filled with controls us. In this passage, the Lord contrasts being filled with wine or His Spirit.

"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

Let me show you some other things the Bible says we can be filled with.

We can be filled with sorrow. "But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart" (John 14:6).

We can be filled with madness. "And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus" (Luke 6:11).

We can be filled with wrath. "And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath" (Luke 4:28).

We can be filled with fear. "And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day" (Luke 5:26).

You see, many winds fill our sails, but God directs us to cooperate and submit to the wind of His Spirit and His Word. Why? Because allowing ill winds to have sway leads us to undesired havens. We won't find ourselves in a good place if we allow them to bring us into bondage or run us aground.

Romans 6:14 assures us that "sin shall not have dominion over you." We have power in Christ to shift the wind, change direction, and yield control to God instead of whatever ill wind blows across our path.

The thing is, these ill winds aren't satisfied only to affect you or mess up your day. They carry on to misdirecting your marriage, your parenting, your employment, and life decisions. So, choose wisely which winds you allow to blow through your life. Fill your sails with the Spirit of God. Allow Him to control you, and you will arrive at safe harbor!

Lord, fill my sails with Your Spirit and move my life according to Your course, for Your glory.
Amen