Saturation

 Saturates himself with the Word of God; is filled with the Spirit.

I often forget that my calling--whatever it may be--is --as I say often--to be Christ in the room wherever He has sent me. I must have the Spirit in control of my life, my thoughts, my actions, my attitudes or that is impossible. The Spirit cannot reveal Christ through me unless I am dedicated to His infilling. And the only way to be filled by His power is to saturate myself with the Word. The Word is His sword to prune away the me that I would rather have people see than Him. The Word are the thoughts of God, and only the Spirit can show me their beauty, their truth, and their necessity for discipleship. Unless my conversation is imbued with His words, those I talk to will only be moved by my charisma, my wisdom, my insights, and even if change seems to occur, it will be temporary because only the Spirit can produce genuine transformation. The Word is the mirror that the Spirit holds in front of me that I might see the distance between His image and my own. Thus He calls on me to allow Him to humble me and to transform me more and more into His image. By focusing on Him and His beauty, He will enable me like Moses to shine with His presence, His glory, and not mine. People will know that I have been with Jesus. The answer to "mirror, mirror, on the wall . . . " is never me. Always--Christ and Christ alone.

So, when I sense my passion for what He has called me to do cooling, I know it's time to get back into the Word. When I feel my effectiveness fading--even though I am teaching the same ideas in the same words I've used before, I know that it is time to get back into the Word. When I feel my commitment to His calling in my life waning, I know it's time to get back into the Word. At such times I find, invariably, that I have been neglecting my time with Him in the Word and/or trying to live on a second-hand relationship with the Word--not personally immersed in His love letter to me. When my passion for my calling wanes, when my effectiveness in my calling falters, when my diligence and dedication to my calling numbs, I know the cure--time with Him alone, in His Word, so I can be filled and empowered by the Spirit to be Christ in the room every day. And the first thing that returns--joy in serving Jesus.