...being full of God.

Lord, let Your Spirit so fill my life that You drown out every desire that does not matter in the end.

That prayer is one that I just heard a few moments ago, as I watched the first session of Passion 2011 in my college's student center. Louie Giglio was God's mouth-piece. However, this was not the first time this concept has slapped me upside the head.

This weekend I was a family group leader at Ekklesia, a youth camp for the churches of Selma. At the final session on Sunday morning, Chris Terrell (God's vessel for the weekend) spoke of Stephen. Ya know, the guy who was "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit," (Acts 6:5). Doesn't ring a bell? Maybe you've heard him referred to as "a man full of God's grace and power," (Acts 6:8)? Yeahh, the first martyr... he was "full of the Holy Spirit," (Acts 7:55). If nothing else could be said about that guy, no one can deny that he was full - to the brim, that is. His definition - said three different ways - all boil down to the simple fact that there was no room in Stephen's life for anything BUT God.

Chris explained it this way... Dr. Pepper. He's a lover of it. (As am I, so this illustration totally got my attention.) He gets it every time he goes out to eat somewhere. Every now and then, however, the waiter/waitress will try to go all stealthy and resourceful on him. Rather than giving him an appropriate amount of his favored soda, he/she would fill the cup completely with ice before dripping in the Dr. Pepper. Therefore, because of the amount of ice in the container, there was very little room for the drink... which of course is a major disappointment.

Now, imagine if Stephen had more ice in his cup than Dr. Pepper (life and Holy Spirit, respectively). How would the story in Acts chapters 6 through 8 have gone differently? He probably would not have died at that time. Some would consider that a good thing... but Paul says in Philippians that for him, "to live is Christ and to die is gain," (1:21). Stephen obviously felt the same way. Had Stephen's cup been arranged any way but full of God, Paul may not have written that letter to the church at Philippi. I believe that if Stephen had more ice in his cup, Saul would not have seen such a bold witness. That would have been one less gospel hearing experience that would place him on the road to Damascus where he would become Paul, and later write encouragement and boldness to the churches of Jesus Christ.

All I can say is God has a big plan for full people; and I kinda like the sound of that.

So...

Lord, let Your Spirit so fill my life that You drown out every desire that does not matter in the end.