Spirit Away: From Empty to Spirit-Filled Kingdom Builders

by Garry Floyd

Text: Proverbs 11:24–31

Theme “Wind” Week-3 Focus – “Empty”: Without God, life becomes a chase after the wind. But when we are born of the Spirit and centered on God, our lives gain weight, direction, and eternal significance.

Introduction— When Life Feels Like a Strange World

The animated film “Spirited Away” tells the story of a girl named Chihiro who suddenly finds herself in a strange and chaotic spirit world. At the beginning, she is fearful, confused, and self-centered. But over time, she grows into someone who is courageous, compassionate, and responsible. The story is about finding identity and purpose in a confusing world.

Many people today feel the same way. (Perhaps thinking back to when you became a Christian) - Life often feels like we’ve been dropped into a strange world where values shift, truth is debated, and success feels empty. The writer of Ecclesiastes described this feeling perfectly:

• Ecclesiastes 5:15-16 – Life can feel like “chasing after the wind.”

But the Bible gives us a different path.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” — John 3:2-5

The answer to a wind-chasing empty life is a Spirit-filled life.

The Foundation: A Life Born of the Spirit

Nicodemus noticed something unique about Jesus. “No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” The presence of God produces visible evidence. When a person is filled with the Spirit, their thinking changes, their priorities shift, and their character deepens.

Proverbs 11:24-25 describes what that looks like. “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer.” (Prov. 11:24) The Spirit gives substance to a life that would otherwise drift. From this foundation, we move from wind-chasing to kingdom-building.

Four Shifts from Wind Chasing to Spirit Living

Shift #1 — Reorient Life Around God

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 12:13

“Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

After examining wealth, pleasure, work, and success, Solomon concludes that life only gains substance when God becomes the center. Without that center, success feels empty, pleasure fades quickly, and achievements lose meaning. BUT, when God becomes the center, everything finds its proper place.

The Spirit-filled life begins with spiritual reorientation. Not God as a part of life. But God as the center of life.

Shift #2 — Anchor Our Inner Life in Truth

Romans 12:2 – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Wind-chasing often begins inside the mind.

• wrong beliefs
• distorted values
• cultural pressure

Transformation begins when God reshapes how we think. The Spirit works from the inside out. Just as Chihiro had to rediscover who she was in the spirit world, believers must rediscover their identity in Christ. The renewed mind leads to:

• clarity of purpose
• spiritual stability
• wise decisions

Shift #3 — Invest in What Outlasts the Wind

• Matthew 6:19–21 – Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
• Colossians 3:2 – “Set your mind on things that are above.”

Shift #4 — Let God Give Weight to Our Work

I Corinthians 15:58 – “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Without God, work can feel repetitive and meaningless. But when work is offered to God, even ordinary things gain eternal significance.

• Parenting becomes discipleship
• Kindness becomes ministry
• Daily work becomes worship

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 – Godly contentment far exceeds the dark realities of human existence. Thus keeping His divinely bestowed blessings ever before us. The Spirit gives weight to ordinary life. Nothing done for God is wasted.

Conclusion — From Wind Chasers to Kingdom Builders

Ecclesiastes tells us something uncomfortable. Without God, life often becomes a chase after the wind.

But the Spirit-filled life changes everything. With God:

• Thoughts gain clarity
• Choices gain direction
• Work gains meaning
• Life gains eternal purpose

The real question becomes, Are we chasing the wind…or building something that eternity will keep?

Jesus said, “Unless one is born of the Spirit…”That is where the transformation begins.

Final Thought:

“The world chases the wind, but the Spirit teaches us to build for eternity.”