"Sober"

I’m really gonna quit it,

It’s what he said to me,

The last time he fell off his horse,

Was drunk again, you see.

And he might go a day or two,

And stay off that hard stuff,

But then the memories all came back,

And he’d get to feelin’ rough.

He had a little sweetheart,

Thought she’d become his wife,

But she couldn’t take the drinkin’,

And chose a better life.

And he made lots of promises,

That he could never keep,

And that’s how come he lost her,

The feelins ran so deep.

And he’s a sure ‘nuff cowboy,

And good with horse and rope,

Took care of lots of cattle,

Till he ran low on hope.

And finally I asked him,

Why he felt the need,

Was it just a habit,

The wrong way gone with speed.

And finally the truth came out,

His old daddy gave him grief,

Got drunk and whipped him everyday,

Left him shakin’ like a leaf.

Said he hid and cried and finally left,

As soon as e’er he could,

Left home the day he turned sixteen,

His mama said he should.

Ran off to be a cowboy,

And that’s just what he did,

But some of that stuff chased him down,

He never could get rid.

And now he had the problem,

That he hated all those years,

‘Cause this thing runs in families,

And rarely changes gears.

So off he goes to find some help,

And I’m so glad he tried,

‘Cause going on the way he was,

We’d soon find that he died.

And now this boy is sober,

Clean, in his right mind,

And with the Good Lord helping,

You seek and you will find.

And those old hurts he carried,

Are healed down to the bone,

And the reason he would medicate,

Will now leave him alone.

He says he’s a better cowboy,

Sober, clean and strong,

And I have to agree with him,

No way he can be wrong.

So if you have old memories,

You’re trying to drink away,

Go and get the help you need,

Don’t wait another day.

The Lord will give you healing,

He can make you right,

Clean and free and sober,

And ridin’ in the light.

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Ephesians 5:18, NLT)

Paul calls us to be sober, but he’s not just talking about chemical dependency. Being controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit is the enemy of every Christian. He’s saying to stop living under that influence and start living under the influence of the Lord. And that’s what being filled with the Holy Spirit is really all about. The Spirit, who has always been with us, now indwells every believer in Jesus. He then wants to fill us to overflowing, which means simply to lead us and be in control of our lives. Then, the life of Jesus flows through us and bears the fruit He wants to produce. We become conduits of His love and power. You probably know already what is filling you instead of the Spirit. Let go of it and let the Lord fill you. He will if you let Him.

Lord, help us to put aside everything else that controls us and be filled with Your Spirit, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, and God bless you.