Are We Stretched Shapes Or Spirit-Filled?

Colossians 2:18-19 – Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. (MSG)

I had a milestone birthday recently and a bunch of brightly coloured balloons was delivered to mark the occasion. I kept them around to amuse my grandson, who enjoyed leaping up to try to catch them. Even after three weeks, they still had a bit of life in them and floated at about his eye level, where he had fun whacking them. But they looked very drab and I decided they had to go. After his visit, I took a sharp knife to them, steeling myself for the explosions, but, to my surprise, they hardly popped at all. Although the point made large holes, they stayed in their shapes for quite some time before crumpling away. The material had been stretched for so long that they held their shapes without the gas inside.

It seems to me that sometimes my Christian life is like this. I become drab and flat, going through the motions of worship and prayer and allowing routine to rob me of the refreshment that Christ gives. Sadly, I know of some churches which are kept alive by legalistic traditions, having completely lost their connection with Christ, "not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God". (Colossians 2:19, KJV)

Prayer: Dear God, fill us anew with your Spirit today. Raise us to new heights of awareness of your power breathing into us that we might lift your Name up higher and draw others unto You for Your glory. Blow through Your Church in fresh and life-changing ways, that we might bring the good news to a dying world. Amen.