HOLY BALLOONS

Our spiritual life can be compared to a balloon. We all have what has been called a spiritual vacuum - a need to know our Creator. But before it is inflated, our spiritual dimension takes up very little space in our lives. Even as new believers, our spiritual balloon is under inflated.

As we nourish our minds and spirits with God's Word, it's like inhaling a deep breath of air and blowing it into the balloon. Can you picture the balloon beginning to expand?

We spend time in prayer with God. It's like blowing another big puff of air into the balloon. The balloon gets a little bigger.

We fellowship with other believers and they speak encouragement and truth into our lives. It's like blowing another big puff of air into the balloon. The balloon gets a little bigger.

We meditate on the scripture we read in our quiet time and begin to see it applying in our daily life. It's like blowing another big puff of air into the balloon. The balloon gets a little bigger.

We memorize scripture - hiding it in our hearts so it can keep us from sin and shed light on our path. It's like blowing another big puff of air into the balloon. The balloon gets a little bigger.

We choose the way of escape God sets before us and resist temptation. It's like blowing another big puff of air into the balloon. The balloon gets a little bigger.

We hear the Spirit's conviction and repent of a specific sin. It's like blowing another big puff of air into the balloon. The balloon gets a little bigger.

The good news about our holy balloon is, unlike the balloons in the picture, this one will never get so big that it bursts. As our holy balloon expands it begins to take up a bigger and bigger part of our being. It influences our thoughts and behaviors more and more.

When our spiritual balloon is full it insures that our perspectives about life are accurate because it sifts all we think and do through an accurate biblical grid.

As we fill our minds with God's truth, the Holy Spirit activates the power of that truth in our lives. We begin to see ourselves from God's perspective. As we choose daily to surrender to His power and His plan, we begin to live out the scripture that says,

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Our goals change. Our aspirations change. Our desires begin to conform to God's because we put our delight in Him above our desires for self-gratification.

Yet, without daily filling . . . did you hear that, girlfriends? . . . without DAILY filling, our spiritual lives can fizzle out just like a balloon that is released without tying off the end! Oh, the spiritual dimension still exists. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. He does not leave us. But if we do not daily allow Him to fill us by

• spending time in God's Word
• praying
• interaction with other believers
• meditating on the Word
• memorizing scripture
• taking thoughts captive
• confessing our sin and receiving His cleansing

then His Spirit will lack vitality and influence over our body and soul.

What about it, sweet sisters? Have you let His Spirit fill your holy balloon today?