Is There Room for God to Work?

Sunday, March 17, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

Luke 6:24–26

In 1925, Wolfgang Pauli, who was one of the leaders in establishing in the field of quantum physics, formulated an explanation for the behavior of atomic particles called electrons. His idea, which came to be known as the Pauli Exclusion Principle, stated that it was impossible for two identical objects no matter how small to occupy the same space at the same time. The principle was later proven to apply to other objects as well and became a cornerstone of the study of physics. In 1945, at the nomination of Albert Einstein, Pauli was awarded the Nobel Prize.

That same principle holds true for our spiritual lives. The reason that the Bible commands us over and over again to be filled with the Holy Spirit is that if we are full of something else, there is no room for Him to work and minister in our lives. Whether the thing that fills us is good or bad, if it is not God, it will keep us from being filled by Him. And that will inevitably lead to failure and heartbreak. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When your own emptiness is painfully forced upon your consciousness, chide yourself that you ever dreamed of being full except in the Lord.”

God will not take second place to anything. He demands and deserves to be our highest priority. Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

Today's Growth Principle: 

Until we are emptied of self and pride, there is no room for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit.