under the influence

Do you remember the last time you were under the influence?

Hahaha...Gotcha ya! i don't necessarily mean substances, but since you brought it up, let's dissect that one first. i remember the last time that i was under the influence. It was in 2002 on a trip to the beach. My family and i love the beach, but this year was a bit different because on visits previously, my time in the sand was spent hanging out with shovel in one hand and a cold beer in the other. That came to a screaching crash when in 2001 a knox county deputy thought that driving down the road with no lights wasn't a real cool thing to do. So when the blue lights came on, the investigation began to see what type of influence i was under. The verdict alcohol and a trip to the county jail.

in a way this was my damascus road moment, as deep down i knew that i had a problem with alcohol, but wouldn't admit it, until that night. Go back to the beach and few months of sobriety, you flirt with the temptations....i was beginning to dig in God's word and was officially far enough away from the locals to try out "social drinking" hahaha (5 county rule for those still wearing masks). i won't bore you with the details, the look on my wife's face that evening said it all, and all i could muster was "i know" and that was it. No more foreign items go into the body to influence an escape or numbing.

i truly started to digest Ephesians 5:18 NIV Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
This began the journey to determine, why i would seek something that would influence my thoughts in a negative manner and found that i really didn't know who i was in Christ. As i continue to digest, learn, relearn and redigest who i am in Christ i am under the influence of the Holy Spirit. i no longer seek out "stuff" that are fake, shallow or temporary. i have set my sights on Jesus, the one that desires my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)

Digesting, swallowing Jesus is making ALL the difference in the world for me. Now let's go influence those with the love that Jesus pours into us by serving our community through Jesus Christ (John 13:35 NIV)

in closing check out the following from Jeremiah 15:19

The LORD replied, "If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words that are worthy, you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; do not let them influence you!