“be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is a present continuous action and requires a believer to be (a) daily yielded to God, (b) daily in repentance with confession with godly sorrow, (c) daily allowing the word of God to richly indwell the inner man. Being controlled by the Holy Spirit empowers a believer (a) daily in spiritual battle (Spirit versus flesh) and, (b) daily in living out the person and character and conduct of Christ and in being obedient to the will of God.
A Dislocated Heart
The Bible says that the heart of man, if left to its own devices, is deceitful and desperately wicked. For the most part, we live the vast majority of our life with our heart focused on our own needs, instead of being concerned about the needs of others. That’s why God wants us to have a “dislocated” heart — a heart that is more concerned with God’s agenda than with our own agenda. Have you left your comfort zone recently to meet someone else’s need and share the love of Christ with them? Do the things that break God’s heart break yours, too, even if they are outside your own personal world? If not, maybe you need to ask God to give you a dislocated heart!
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