The other day we were talking about wisdom. And talked about living intentionally (as Rich talked about yesterday) and not being foolish. Here are a couple more things.

Third, Paul writes, be filled with the spirit instead of being drunk to distraction.

We can turn our wisdom over to substances that so remove inhibitions that we cannot act wisely. We see it regularly in the ER. People who have so lost their connection to how things really are that they drive into ditches and other vehicles. They become unaware of pain. They become unaware of gravity.

And then spend weeks here and their families and others are changed forever.

And Paul says, “don’t turn yourself over to drunkenness.”

Instead, be filled with God. Be filled with the Spirit of God, allow God to permeate your life.

Which leads to the next things.

• Speaking God’s words to each other.
• Singing
• Giving thanks

Fourth, speak to each other with the words of God.

When we first got married, Nancy got frustrated with me when I’d respond to every comment of hers with a song lyric. I could get mushy and say it was because I was so happy she made me sing. But the truth is that I was a smart-aleck and loved playing with words. And the words I was full of were song lyrics.

Because I had listened to so much music.

And that’s the image Paul is talking about here. What is the soundtrack of your life? What are the words and thoughts and stories that are filling you, that will come out in the way that we talk to each other and respond to each other?

Are our only ideas the ideas of the latest news story or meme we read or are we reading the words of God and allowing them to seep into our hearts and filter out of our mouths?