What Are You Full Of?
What Are You Full Of? Living a Life of Careful Intentionality
We live in a world that constantly fills us with messages, ideas, and influences. From the moment we wake up until we close our eyes at night, we're bombarded with content that shapes our thoughts, actions, and beliefs. But here's the critical question we must ask ourselves: What are we allowing to fill us?
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus with a powerful prayer—that believers would "be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). This isn't just poetic language; it's a call to intentional living. What fills us ultimately controls us, and if we're not careful about what we allow into our hearts and minds, we'll find ourselves walking in ways that dishonor God and harm ourselves.
The Power of Being "Full of It"
When someone says a person is "full of it," it's rarely meant as a compliment. But what if we could transform that phrase into something beautiful? What if people could look at our lives and accurately say we're "full of it"—meaning we're full of Jesus, full of His Word, full of His love and grace?
The truth is, everyone is full of something. The question isn't whether we're full, but what we're full of. Are we full of bitterness or forgiveness? Full of anxiety or peace? Full of worldly wisdom or biblical truth? The content of our hearts determines the direction of our lives.
Walking Carefully in an Unwise World
Scripture calls us to "be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15). This isn't about physical walking—it's about how we conduct every aspect of our lives. Our marriages, our parenting, our work, our friendships, our business dealings—all of it constitutes our "walk."
The unwise person walks through life with no regard for God. They make decisions, build relationships, and pursue goals as if God doesn't exist or doesn't matter. The wise person, however, conducts every area of life with the highest regard for God. They seek His guidance, follow His principles, and honor Him in all things.
Careless attitudes, careless actions, and careless decisions have been the ruin of many good people. That's why Scripture repeatedly urges us to be careful, to be watchful, to be intentional about how we live.
Help From Above and Beside
How do we walk carefully in a world designed to distract us? The answer comes from two directions: vertical and horizontal.
Vertically, we need help from above. We must look to God, depend on His Word, and rely on the Holy Spirit. Without divine assistance, walking righteously in this fallen world would be impossible. God's Word serves as our instruction manual, giving us clear direction for how to live.
But we also need horizontal help—the church, the body of believers. When we're alone, we can justify almost anything. We can excuse our sins, rationalize our choices, and deceive ourselves into thinking we're fine. That's why we need the accountability, encouragement, and correction that comes from being part of a congregation.
The local church isn't optional for the Christian life; it's essential. We need each other. We need the community that challenges us, supports us, and helps us stay on track.
Guarding Our Actions, Thoughts, and Hearts
Being careful involves three critical areas:
Our Actions: Scripture calls us to "be careful to engage in good deeds" (Titus 3:8). This isn't about earning salvation through works—salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. But genuine faith produces good works. When Christ is active in our lives, we naturally become a blessing to those around us. We serve our spouses, love our children, honor those deserving respect, and meet the needs of our communities.
Our Thoughts: Perhaps most convicting is Paul's instruction to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). God knows our thoughts—every single one. The thoughts we'd be ashamed to speak aloud, God hears clearly. We must be intentional about what we allow to occupy our minds, rejecting thoughts that dishonor God and embracing those that align with His truth.
Our Hearts: Deuteronomy 11:16 warns us: "Beware that your hearts are not deceived and that you do not turn away and serve other gods." We have an enemy—Satan—who wants nothing good for us. He's a master of deception, making evil appear good and good appear evil. He casts doubt on God's Word, distracts us with trivial concerns, and tries to make truth relative rather than absolute.
The Great Deception About Life
Perhaps Satan's greatest deception in our modern world is convincing people that life—especially life in the womb—isn't valuable. Approximately one million abortions occur annually in the United States alone, with worldwide numbers reaching over 40 million. Abortion has become the leading cause of death globally, surpassing all other causes combined.
This is a tragedy of incomprehensible proportions. When a sperm unites with an egg, a living being is created. Science confirms this. Reason confirms this. And Scripture, which declares God as the author and giver of life, confirms this.
We must be people who stand boldly for the cause of life, defending the vulnerable and valuing every human being created in God's image. The story of the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus 1:17—who "feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live"—marks the beginning of the pro-life movement. They valued life over political pressure, and God honored their courage.
Yet we must also extend grace. Many women carry shame and regret over past abortions. The church must be a place of healing and forgiveness, where the message of Christ's redemption is proclaimed clearly: there is freedom and forgiveness in Jesus for every sin, including abortion.
What Fills You Controls You
This is the bottom line: what fills you controls you. If you're filled with anger, anger will control your responses. If you're filled with fear, fear will dictate your decisions. If you're filled with worldly philosophies, those philosophies will shape your worldview.
But if you're filled with God's Word, His truth will guide you. If you're filled with the Holy Spirit, His power will transform you. If you're filled with the love of Christ, that love will overflow to everyone around you.
The God of hope wants to fill you "with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). He wants to fill you up to all the fullness of God—not partially, not occasionally, but completely and continually.
So ask yourself today: What am I full of? And more importantly: What do I want to be full of? The answer to that question will determine the trajectory of your life.
Choose wisely. Walk carefully. And let Christ fill you completely.
In Christ's Service,
We live in a world that constantly fills us with messages, ideas, and influences. From the moment we wake up until we close our eyes at night, we're bombarded with content that shapes our thoughts, actions, and beliefs. But here's the critical question we must ask ourselves: What are we allowing to fill us?
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus with a powerful prayer—that believers would "be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). This isn't just poetic language; it's a call to intentional living. What fills us ultimately controls us, and if we're not careful about what we allow into our hearts and minds, we'll find ourselves walking in ways that dishonor God and harm ourselves.
The Power of Being "Full of It"
When someone says a person is "full of it," it's rarely meant as a compliment. But what if we could transform that phrase into something beautiful? What if people could look at our lives and accurately say we're "full of it"—meaning we're full of Jesus, full of His Word, full of His love and grace?
The truth is, everyone is full of something. The question isn't whether we're full, but what we're full of. Are we full of bitterness or forgiveness? Full of anxiety or peace? Full of worldly wisdom or biblical truth? The content of our hearts determines the direction of our lives.
Walking Carefully in an Unwise World
Scripture calls us to "be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15). This isn't about physical walking—it's about how we conduct every aspect of our lives. Our marriages, our parenting, our work, our friendships, our business dealings—all of it constitutes our "walk."
The unwise person walks through life with no regard for God. They make decisions, build relationships, and pursue goals as if God doesn't exist or doesn't matter. The wise person, however, conducts every area of life with the highest regard for God. They seek His guidance, follow His principles, and honor Him in all things.
Careless attitudes, careless actions, and careless decisions have been the ruin of many good people. That's why Scripture repeatedly urges us to be careful, to be watchful, to be intentional about how we live.
Help From Above and Beside
How do we walk carefully in a world designed to distract us? The answer comes from two directions: vertical and horizontal.
Vertically, we need help from above. We must look to God, depend on His Word, and rely on the Holy Spirit. Without divine assistance, walking righteously in this fallen world would be impossible. God's Word serves as our instruction manual, giving us clear direction for how to live.
But we also need horizontal help—the church, the body of believers. When we're alone, we can justify almost anything. We can excuse our sins, rationalize our choices, and deceive ourselves into thinking we're fine. That's why we need the accountability, encouragement, and correction that comes from being part of a congregation.
The local church isn't optional for the Christian life; it's essential. We need each other. We need the community that challenges us, supports us, and helps us stay on track.
Guarding Our Actions, Thoughts, and Hearts
Being careful involves three critical areas:
Our Actions: Scripture calls us to "be careful to engage in good deeds" (Titus 3:8). This isn't about earning salvation through works—salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. But genuine faith produces good works. When Christ is active in our lives, we naturally become a blessing to those around us. We serve our spouses, love our children, honor those deserving respect, and meet the needs of our communities.
Our Thoughts: Perhaps most convicting is Paul's instruction to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). God knows our thoughts—every single one. The thoughts we'd be ashamed to speak aloud, God hears clearly. We must be intentional about what we allow to occupy our minds, rejecting thoughts that dishonor God and embracing those that align with His truth.
Our Hearts: Deuteronomy 11:16 warns us: "Beware that your hearts are not deceived and that you do not turn away and serve other gods." We have an enemy—Satan—who wants nothing good for us. He's a master of deception, making evil appear good and good appear evil. He casts doubt on God's Word, distracts us with trivial concerns, and tries to make truth relative rather than absolute.
The Great Deception About Life
Perhaps Satan's greatest deception in our modern world is convincing people that life—especially life in the womb—isn't valuable. Approximately one million abortions occur annually in the United States alone, with worldwide numbers reaching over 40 million. Abortion has become the leading cause of death globally, surpassing all other causes combined.
This is a tragedy of incomprehensible proportions. When a sperm unites with an egg, a living being is created. Science confirms this. Reason confirms this. And Scripture, which declares God as the author and giver of life, confirms this.
We must be people who stand boldly for the cause of life, defending the vulnerable and valuing every human being created in God's image. The story of the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus 1:17—who "feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live"—marks the beginning of the pro-life movement. They valued life over political pressure, and God honored their courage.
Yet we must also extend grace. Many women carry shame and regret over past abortions. The church must be a place of healing and forgiveness, where the message of Christ's redemption is proclaimed clearly: there is freedom and forgiveness in Jesus for every sin, including abortion.
What Fills You Controls You
This is the bottom line: what fills you controls you. If you're filled with anger, anger will control your responses. If you're filled with fear, fear will dictate your decisions. If you're filled with worldly philosophies, those philosophies will shape your worldview.
But if you're filled with God's Word, His truth will guide you. If you're filled with the Holy Spirit, His power will transform you. If you're filled with the love of Christ, that love will overflow to everyone around you.
The God of hope wants to fill you "with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). He wants to fill you up to all the fullness of God—not partially, not occasionally, but completely and continually.
So ask yourself today: What am I full of? And more importantly: What do I want to be full of? The answer to that question will determine the trajectory of your life.
Choose wisely. Walk carefully. And let Christ fill you completely.
In Christ's Service,
Pastor Kirk Flaa
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