Copyright  ©  2014  Wildwood  Calvary  Chapel    Scripture  taken  from  the  New  King  James  Version.    Copyright  ©  1979,  1980,  1982  by  Thomas  Nelson,  Inc.    Used  by  permission.  All  rights  reserved.      

Up, Up and… Away?

Who doesn’t love a good balloon? There is just something fascinating about having a colorful, bouncy balloon in the room. Kids of all ages love to slap them into the air and watch them float. We can rub them in our hair and stick them to the wall. Even little babies become wide-eyed and smiley by squishy, fun balloons. And we quickly realize how much a child really treasures a balloon when the string that held it close slips away from a little hand and the balloon sets sail, up and away. It is a slow and saddening reminder, a feeling of helplessness, as that beloved plaything grows smaller and smaller, and then is simply gone. Or in the same way, in all that slapping and bouncing around, when the balloon begins to lose its luster and slowly begins to shrink, we know that too soon the joy that it once brought is over. “Disssssssipation.” We can almost hear the hiss of air seeping out of the balloon. The apostle Paul offers his loving reminder, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit...” (Ephesians 5:18) In these passages Paul guides the believers at Ephesus through choices in their Christian walk; to sleep on or to arise (see vs. 14), to walk with diligence or as fools (see vs. 15), to be unwise or to understand the will of God (see vs. 17). And now in verse 18 the choice is this, to intoxicate and alter their minds to the point of uselessness in the hands of their Savior, or to be empowered with the dynamic, world-altering power of the Holy Spirit. Many of us can truthfully proclaim that we are not winebibbers, not prone to or caught up in the snare of drinking wine to drunkenness. That is simply not an issue that would draw us away from glorifying our Lord. Maybe that was a major societal issue in Paul’s day. Can we say differently? And for believers, is it not equally true that man-made, concocted and contrived methods of consuming our thoughts and time are all around us and placed easily at our disposal? Today we must choose. Will it be the slow and saddening hiss we hear as our opportunities to bring His joy are deflated by the distractions of this world, or will we welcome in His Tremendous power to light up this world and cast out darkness?

   

Robert  Watkins