getting "genuinely" drunk

I’m going to share something that will be hard to swallow.

I know, because I struggle with it on a daily basis. I’m even reading up on it these days to grow into it

It's impossible to faithfully follow God unless we are led by the Holy Spirit. 

Many well-meaning Christians don’t understand what it means, and like I said… I’m one of them. We all are. There is no way an imperfect human can perfectly know the mind of God at all times and on all things.

That means there will be times that you “righteously” go in the wrong direction without realizing it. This, I sense, is one of the reasons why we need each other and must form our friendships around God and all of His Truths. We can each believe we’re doing something good that we’ve even prayed over, only to realize through accountability and the Spirit that what we’ve concluded is actually not the Lord’s will.

Interestingly, God contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being drunk. 

Somebody who is drunk with wine or alcohol is controlled by and consumed by alcohol, but somebody who is "drunk in the Spirit" is controlled and consumed by the Spirit to step into a larger life that’s willing to defy personal thoughts, emotions, understanding and reason. If you do this you may even run against the grain of your family on things they’d rather do.

How does that sound? Like I said, it’s hard to swallow… isn’t it?

The Good News? The Holy Spirit entered you when you decided to give your life to Christ. The bad news? You may be under-utilizing Him. Even if you regularly ask Him to lead you, guide you and help you it won’t mean anything if you aren’t willing to do the things He wants you to do. It’ll often show up in things that don’t make any logical sense, like working something out yet again or challenging your own living/thinking on something you currently feel good about.

I’m a real guy who needs your prayers on this. I know you’re a real man or woman who needs the same. So think ahead with me and imagine what the next chapter of our lives (and the eternity of others we affect for Jesus) will be if we get this right today. Jesus said the Spirit will help us recall Truth and give us the power to speak to others about our faith.

Isn’t that worth it?

Because one thing the Holy Spirit can't do? All the work for us. We're still responsible to be faithful when we’d rather do what’s easier. Since we are to live by the Spirit, let’s keep in step with the Spirit, experiencing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control along the way.

(Check out John 14:15-27, John 16:5-15, Romans 8:1-17 and Galatians 5:16-26 for some further thoughts.)