Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me,
break me, melt me, mould me, fill me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
As Easter fades from our memory, and Pentecost marches into our consciousness, we brace for the oncoming storm of the Holy Spirit. I proclaim, ‘Praise be to those who can name the gifts of the Spirit, and praise be to those who can name the fruit of the Spirit.’ But who can name the acts of the flesh in Galatian 5:19-20?
So often we canter through these verses and press on to the fruit. Yet, dancing over the words we read of the bookend words of sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, orgies, and the like before deciding these do not apply to us. But there is a group of words in the middle which does apply, and how. These acts of the flesh are, "... hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy." Do these pierce our soul? I think so. How we should cry in anguish and seek forgiveness. How often have we witnessed these acts at church meetings? How often have we been guilty of feeling these emotions or exhibited these traits ourselves. Yes, it is easy to point the finger or glance at another and feel a tinge of pride as we condemn. Have we moved so far to the flesh that we need to be broken, melted, and refashioned in God's image. If we are honest, we would accept the need to humbly undergo the transformation on a regular basis.
For some, these afflictions are due to a medical condition, and treatment or medication is required. For others, you need to pray for the grace to be both understanding and supportive. Are you up for the challenge or like those before the Good Samaritan, just pass by? Sadly, I have heard far too many Christians mocking others for being too passionate, or not passionate enough, expressing jealousy and envying other people’s gift. Some folk cause divisions to get their own way because they are more concerned about their own agenda than the needs of other believers. Let us seek the mind of Christ for His glory. Let us open again our hearts and our minds to the infilling, refilling and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let us rejoice and affirm the words, break me, melt me, mould me, and fill me.
Let us pray - Father, help me to open my heart and mind so I can be refilled with your Holy Spirit. Break me so I can be remodelled, then fill me fully with your Holy Spirit. Help drive out the acts of the Flesh, so I can live the life You want. Help me to be a Christian. Amen.
God be with you,
Michael Rolton
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