Ephesians 5:18 calls us to “be filled with the Spirit.” For believers passionate about Jesus, seeking His purpose, and desiring spiritual growth, this verse is a daily invitation. To be filled with the Spirit means to be permeated by the Triune God, who is accessible to us today as the all-inclusive Spirit. When we are truly filled from within, our spirit naturally overflows, expressing itself outwardly. Ephesians 5 further connects being filled with the Spirit to speaking and singing – activities that go beyond ordinary conversation.
Our expressions can take the form of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Psalms, often extensive poetic expressions like Psalm 119 with its 176 verses organized around the Hebrew alphabet, delve into the depths of spiritual experience. Hymns, while generally shorter than psalms, offer profound theological and devotional themes. Spiritual songs, often even more concise, can capture spontaneous moments of inspiration and praise.
The practice of speaking and singing these spiritual expressions isn’t confined to formal gatherings. In fact, cultivating this atmosphere in our daily lives, even before we come together for a meeting, is vital. Imagine a husband at home, filled with joy, spontaneously singing, “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” His wife, joining in from her own Spirit-filled experience, might respond with, “I have passed the riven veil. Here the glories never fail.” This could then lead to a shared exclamation of faith: “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I am living in the presence of the King!” (Hymns #308, #551).
This illustrates how being filled with the Spirit naturally leads to utterance. When a small group meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., but a couple begins to express their Spirit-filled joy through song at dinnertime around 6:00 p.m., in essence, the meeting has already begun. This spirit of fellowship, born from individual fullness, can then continue as they travel to meet with other believers, carrying the atmosphere of praise and spiritual connection with them.
This organic expression of faith through song, encapsulated in phrases like “This is my story, this is my song,” speaks to the heart of genuine Christian fellowship. It’s about allowing our personal experience of God’s grace to become a song that overflows and harmonizes with others who share the same Spirit. It’s not just about reciting words, but about living a life so saturated with the Spirit that praise and testimony naturally spring forth, creating a vibrant and authentic community of faith.
By prioritizing being filled with the Spirit in our individual lives, we enrich not only our personal walk with God but also the collective spiritual experience of our gatherings. When “this is my story, this is my song” becomes the genuine expression of our hearts, our fellowship transforms into a powerful testament to the living reality of Christ within us.
