In church on Sunday, we talked about Genesis 34. We talked about being abused in all ways. About taking power to get what we want or about someone else taking power to get what they want. About taking advantage through power that we might have. It is the culture that I grew up in. Use the power that you have to get your own desires fulfilled. Not only sexual, but also in the church or the workplace. There have been times where things have been held over my head or where I have even done it myself. And that is not what is supposed to happen. That is not of God. We were created in God's image and God's image does not reflect using power in order to get what you want. It does not reflect a life that is used to abuse others so that you can get higher up or so that you can fulfill your own desires. We all have been hurt by a situation like this. We all at some point have been knocked down because of abusive power situations. And it is not our fault if we have become a victim in one of these situations. When a person has been abused by a type of power being held over them, they are not at fault. And this is something that I and many others need to remind ourselves. It hurts and it sucks, but it can be healed. You just have to forgive.
Last week, Andrew spoke about household idols. He spoke about our things that we hold on to that we won't get rid of. The things that we hoard because we 'need' them. The things that protect us from this world, from our fears, that make us feel better because we have. The things that we control, that we own, and that we make them do as we tell them to. We have these things because we can control them. They have no rule over our lives and we do with them as we please. These are the things that fill the voids in our hearts. The things that we think that without we could not go on. And then he pulled out a verse where God mocks those who have household idols. God created all the earth, he created the universe, he has all the power in the world. He is invincible and he is all knowing. He is the God of all things. And here's what is funny about our household idols…we created them. An idol that we created ourselves that cannot stand. God is not created, he is the creator. And we think that a puny little idol that we created ourselves can stand against the God of the universe? Yeah, right.
Francis Chan uses an illustration to show what it means to encounter the Spirit…A caterpillar lives his whole life crawling on the ground as a squirmy little slug. He takes a nap one day only to wake up many days later with the ability to fly. He no longer needs to crawl around on the ground, but instead he can fly. So should be the same with us when the Holy Spirit enters us. We should no longer go on crawling, but instead, we should be flying. The Holy Spirit should take us off to a new level and we should not be like we were before. We are a brand new creation and we do not need to worry about who we used to be because that is not who we are any more. We are new!!! And yet, so many of us do not live like we have the ability to fly. We do not live so that God is guiding our lives, but we are still living a life that is our own. And this is not who I want to be anymore. I don't want to be the person who is living a life crawling on the ground when I can fly. I want to fly, I want to be a creation that is glorifying to God. I want to live a life that looks different. I don't want to be the same person that I was when I met Christ, but instead a new creation. I want to live a life that is completely and totally different.
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