What Are You Filled With?

Our grandchildren were given a lot of chocolate eggs of all shapes and sizes this Easter. They accrued so many that they’re still enjoying a chocolate ration each day, and probably will for some days to come. All the large eggs were hollow, but the small ones were filled with various sticky contents; white and yellow cream, or caramel, or unspecified fudgy stuff, all very sickly. However children are opinionated about what they like and don’t like, so occasionally, after a first bite into an egg, it was rejected. The reason was clear; the filling wasn’t acceptable, in fact it had completely spoiled the taste of the chocolate on the outside of egg.

So, I was wondering, are we a bit like a chocolate egg with an undesirable filling? Does our inside ‘filling’ live up to the expectations of delight implied by the seemingly desirable outer shell?

The truth is we can succeed in looking good on the outside. But what about when something bad occurs or someone hurts us? This is like the world ‘biting’ into us, and what comes out is what’s inside, our inner filling. The question is: is it a delicious inside, or an unpleasant surprise?

Paul encouraged the first century believers in Philippi to be filled with ‘good qualities’, which can only come from allowing Jesus to work inside by the power of the Holy Spirit. These good qualities are the character of Jesus, and this is a most delightful ‘filling’. Paul also tells those in Colossi to be filled with courage (Colossians 2:2), and later to be filled with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7). So there are lots of good things to be filled with, but we all need to recognise if these are indeed what fills us.

Today let’s ask Holy Spirit to work on our ‘filling’, so that we’re filled with the character of Jesus, courage and thanksgiving. In this way, even when the world attacks us, what comes out will be delicious and worthy of being called a Christian.

Prayer: Father God I want to be filled with grace, truth and love, so that in times of trouble what comes out from inside me is righteousness, and not something unpalatable. Today I ask that Your Holy Spirit would highlight where my inside filling is not pleasing to You, so I can open myself to Your work of inner transformation. I pray this in Jesus’ life-changing name. Amen.