Knocking Down the Idols
Today, I ran for about half an hour without stopping, save for the crosswalk. I enjoy running now, and it is almost eery to me to hear myself think that, say that, write that. I am enjoying the fact that I am taking care of the temple that God gave me that is my body. It is refreshing to know that I am honoring this shell that God gave me and taking better care of it on a daily basis.
Which leads me to my running revelation today. As I ran through R town, I took a route that led me by my old school. As I ran toward it, I reflected on who I used to be when I worked there. I used to have the idol of self gratitude, self service, and self whatever I felt like at the moment, particularly self service in my career. I fell like God rescued me from that idol and showed me how to knock that tower down. As I thought through this and ran, I had a vision of myself knocking down the tower that I used to put myself on. It felt incredible. A tool that pastor has given me is utilizing my imagination in my relationship with Jesus. I have always been good at using my imagination to envision a quality school, to imagine lustful thoughts for my own gratification, or to imagine our home, our family, or whatever. but until pastor gave me this tool, I never applied my imagination to my relationship with Jesus. Now I can't stop. So I'm imagining knocking the idol tower down that I used to build for myself, and I envision the tower that I put Jesus on being taller than anything else I can imagine. Standing at the base praising Him who died so that I might live. Then I start building other towers-but for good reason. Not to take away from my king on his tower, but to envision myself 'loving my neighbors more than myself'. To put others on pedestals before myself.
That has been my struggle my entire life. Serving myself before others without hesitation or imagination on how I would or could hurt others in the process. So for anyone that I have done that to, I repent and apologize for serving myself first. That means the star, my kids, my family, my friends, my colleagues, but most of all, Jesus.
Which leads me to my running revelation today. As I ran through R town, I took a route that led me by my old school. As I ran toward it, I reflected on who I used to be when I worked there. I used to have the idol of self gratitude, self service, and self whatever I felt like at the moment, particularly self service in my career. I fell like God rescued me from that idol and showed me how to knock that tower down. As I thought through this and ran, I had a vision of myself knocking down the tower that I used to put myself on. It felt incredible. A tool that pastor has given me is utilizing my imagination in my relationship with Jesus. I have always been good at using my imagination to envision a quality school, to imagine lustful thoughts for my own gratification, or to imagine our home, our family, or whatever. but until pastor gave me this tool, I never applied my imagination to my relationship with Jesus. Now I can't stop. So I'm imagining knocking the idol tower down that I used to build for myself, and I envision the tower that I put Jesus on being taller than anything else I can imagine. Standing at the base praising Him who died so that I might live. Then I start building other towers-but for good reason. Not to take away from my king on his tower, but to envision myself 'loving my neighbors more than myself'. To put others on pedestals before myself.
That has been my struggle my entire life. Serving myself before others without hesitation or imagination on how I would or could hurt others in the process. So for anyone that I have done that to, I repent and apologize for serving myself first. That means the star, my kids, my family, my friends, my colleagues, but most of all, Jesus.
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