The gospels tell us that there were times when Jesus was “filled with the Spirit.” Does that mean he was not always filled with the Spirit? Or were there times when that anointing was stronger than others? Luke writes that, after his baptism and 40-day testing in the desert, Jesus was filled with holy power: Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.
If Jesus, whom we believe was at once fully divine and fully human, needed to be filled with the Spirit of God – his own Spirit – to be effective in ministry, what does that say about us? So often I find myself trying to minister on my own steam. If you have a lot of energy and ideas, your own steam can take you a ways. But nothing like when we’re powered by God-Spirit. I’m at my best when I realize “I got nothing” in the face of a given challenge, and invite God’s power and love to be realized through me.
How can we tell the difference? We all need to learn to discern that. We can start with, “Did I ask the Spirit to fill me, or guide me, or help me?” The Spirit of God blows where it will, Jesus said, but rarely seems to show up uninvited. God honors our free will. When we develop the practice of inviting the Spirit into our ministries we will find ourselves empowered in a new way. We might even pray through our calendar at the beginning of each day or week, asking the Spirit to be present with us in the tasks ahead. (We need also pray that God remove obstacles to the free flow of Holy Spirit in us – that’s the work of repentance and healing.)
We can learn to attend to how we feel in our bodies when the Holy Spirit fills us. We might feel a discernible energy, sometimes an excited joy, sometimes a deep peace that clearly comes from beyond us. I feel it when I’m praying with someone for healing, often when I am singing, or when I’m preaching or leading worship. There can be an effect on our minds too – most of the time, if I pray, “God, I need an idea for…” an insight or idea pops into my mind almost immediately, almost as if dictated. Why I don’t always ask?!
Sometimes we know the Spirit's filling after the fact. I can feel incredibly energized, buzzy, especially when I know the Spirit has been present and people have felt more connected to God and each other. If I feel drained, I’m pretty sure I was trying on my own. If I feel lifted up and full of joy, there’s a good chance God was working through me. Exhaustion may come later; we’re human; but we don’t feel drained.
And when it’s the Spirit, we know by the fruits. Lives are transformed. Systems are unjammed. Creativity and joy flow more fully. I was blessed with such a day Sunday, with one church filled for a baptism in the morning, followed by a creative annual meeting full of good ideas in the afternoon. A huge part of my ministry as a pastor is to increase my congregants’ capacity to be filled with the Spirit. For when the Body of Christ is filled with the power of the Spirit, you can be sure that reports about him will spread through all the surrounding country.
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