Hamster Wheel

If I lived in a hamster wheel, this is what it would look like!
I am still in Dayton and yesterday was a very full day...filled with wonderful God moments, coffee, Despicable Me, and good conversation. I spoke twice at Linden Avenue on worship, intimacy and identity. I preached my first "sermon" during a Sunday morning. I think it was preaching...I don't know the difference between preaching and teaching. I guess I should take Pastor John's class to find this out!

I had prepared something specific to give to the congregation before I arrived in Dayton. However, early yesterday morning I woke up and immediately felt like God had something different in mind for me to say. This was fun for me because it means He loves these people so much to give them something straight from His heart that day and it means that He loves me enough to use me to speak it. On top of changing my sermon around, I also felt like He gave me a few prophetic words for 2 people whom I've never met (prophetic meaning comforting, strengthening & encouraging...see 1 Corinthians 14:3). I saw their faces in my mind while sitting on my hotel bed. When I was called up to speak, I saw both of those men sitting in the pews. HA! I love how God works!

Last night I spoke on how worship is our birthright and what we are created for. God calling us to be worshipers is about two things: living our life to magnify, to make Him bigger AND living our lives as worship leaders for others to come along to do the same. This is the same as "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength AND love your neighbor as yourself." Every follower of Jesus is meant to be a worshiper and a worship leader. I'm not talking about music/song leaders. Every follower of Jesus is given the high privilege and calling of living daily to glorify God in such a magnificent way that it is contagious to those around them.

I believe one of Satan's biggest strategies is to get us to obsess over ourselves...to obsess over our thoughts, struggles, shame and pride...to turn inward only seeing the small scale of our little world. One of God's biggest callings on us is to get us to turn outward, to obsess over Him and to see and know others. If the enemy can keep us on the hamster wheel of self obsession, he knows God will not receive our attention that He is so worthy of. If we are not giving God the attention He is so worthy of, then the enemy knows that we will not be loving others in the ways that God reveals to us.

Today, and every day, my challenge is to look outside of my unrenewed mind and give God my attention and obsession. Out of that I will love people. Out of that I will love myself. God's hamster wheel is so much more delightful and effective than the round-and-round of the enemy's. Doesn't it feel good to be on the right team? :)

Comments

  1. ταράσσω v. {tar-as'-so}July 18, 2011 at 6:19 PM

    This is one of the more profound things I have read recently. Now to apply it!

    "I believe one of Satan's biggest strategies is to get us to obsess over ourselves...to obsess over our thoughts, struggles, shame and pride...to turn inward only seeing the small scale of our little world. One of God's biggest callings on us is to get us to turn outward, to obsess over Him and to see and know others. If the enemy can keep us on the hamster wheel of self obsession, he knows God will not receive our attention that He is so worthy of. If we are not giving God the attention He is so worthy of, then the enemy knows that we will not be loving others in the ways that God reveals to us."

    Thanks Holly! Thank you Lord for speaking through Holly!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wendy WrenJuly 22, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    Haha!!EXACTLY!!! (to man in previous comment) This post reminds me of these 2 scriptures:

    Romans 12:2
    &
    2 Corinthians 10:5

    I carry these 2 bad boys around on my forehead ALL DAY!! I have to!!
    If not, i'm more like the poor lil hamster that's in one of those balls and just keeps running himself into the wall. OUCH. I'm not much of an Ambassador for Christ then, now am I? I want to glorify His Kingdom!! I want my love for Jesus to be contagious to those around me.
    Again, Thanx Holly for a beautiful post.

    ReplyDelete

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