Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. . . .

— Ephesians 5:17-18

People who do not know Christ have no heavenly hope. Without hope, it can be tempting to live in unhealthy ways that cause harm and can even be deadly. The Bible warns against drunkenness, for example. Drinking heavily can be a temptation for believers as well as nonbelievers.

But God calls believers to wise living in the Spirit. When our hope is in Christ, we look forward to a heavenly feast, and the Holy Spirit confirms this hope. Through the Spirit we can already taste in our present lives the fruits of joy, peace, and love.

When we allow ourselves to be filled by the Spirit on a daily basis, we can grow in the Spirit’s fruitbearing and guard against despair or boredom, which can lead to all sorts of excesses. People who drink too much wine or other alcohol detach themselves in a totally wrong way. But by the Spirit of God we can detach ourselves from ourselves in a way that is perfectly good. As Paul writes, we are to “be filled with the Spirit.”

Every believer is called to desire that filling daily. This is a privilege that we can and should seize. Otherwise the danger is that we will exhaust ourselves by trying to live as good Christians on our own. Real Christian living is impossible without the influence of the Spirit.

Spirit of God, thank you for entering our lives as the promised counselor. Guide us so that we may bear the fruit of a life filled with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.