Dissipation vs. Generation

Ephesians 5:18 "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit."

The believers in Ephesus are taught by the apostle Paul to leave the old man behind and start walking in the newness of life that is found in Christ. He exhorts them to disregard the lusts of the flesh and reminds them that Jesus is light and reveals all the secrets and hidden places that exist in the hearts and lives of man. Those hidden and unreported sins always lead to destruction. The old man is a physical being, constantly driven by physical desires, whereas the new man in Christ is spiritual, motivated by the commands and laws of God.
The city of Ephesus was known in the world as a city given over to a lifestyle of physical pleasure and carnal desires. They worshipped deities such as Diana, the goddess of fertility and sexuality, and Bacchus, the god of wine and physical ecstasy. The followers of these gods would regularly "worship" with drunken orgies and please their gods by living an epicurean lifestyle. Against this background Paul warns the new believers of the Way to leave the old life behind and focus on living in a way that would please God and benefit our bodies.
We all have a choice how to live every day of our lives. We can either fulfill the lusts of the flesh and fill ourselves will all manner of substances that might give us a temporary sense of pleasure and relief from the worries and stresses of the world, or we can allow God to fill us with His Holy Spirit, which will bring His peace and joy into our lives. The result of trying to live for the flesh will always result in dissipation. In science, dissipation describes an irreversible process that increases the state of entropy in the system it is working in. In other words, a higher state of disorder is introduced through a process that cannot be undone. Such is a life given over to physical pleasures. Whether it is a failed marriage ruined by unbridled lust, a ruined career due to alcoholism, or a drug induced insanity ruling every aspect of one's life, going after the things of the flesh will always result in irreversible consequences that we will regret when we are faced with them.
Not so with God. The opposite of dissipation is generation. Instead of increased chaos, God generates in our lives power and a sense of peace through His Spirit. Paul tells us to "be filled", or rather,  "to be being filled" with the Spirit of God, not wine. Contrary to physical stimulants, the Spirit will work in us to grow and mature us into a man or woman of God. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us at the point of salvation, yet due to our sin nature, we need to daily surrender our desires and receive a fresh filling of the power of God. We are creatures with free will and God will not force Himself on us. Each day, we need to chose God and align our lives with His eternal purposes and He will be faithful to provide the power and gifts needed to live each day victoriously. There may be temporary setbacks due to our weaknesses and selfish thinking, but God is always ready to restore us through His Spirit, if we choose to turn our faces to Him and ask for His Spirit to lead us. Each day is a new start and a new opportunity to allow God to sit on the throne of our lives which always leads to a life full of purpose, joy, love, fulfillment, and order. Instead of dissipation we will experience a state of completeness and fullness of life.

Application
I have experienced the pain and destructive power of a life given over to fleshly desires and do not ever want to go back to that kind of life. Thus today I will resolve to start every day by asking God to let His will be done in my life, not mine.