Friday, January 18, 2008

I Were Changed More by My Redeemer

You guys know this song… “Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner that is what I really want to be. Cause if I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner, then everyone would be in love with me.” (I know - now you are going to have this tune in your head all day… but at least it isn’t “It’s a Small World.”)

I’ve decided that there is truth in this song. I’ll explain more in a moment. Did you know that a recent survey showed Americans consume 20 billion hotdogs each year? That equals 70 hotdogs per person a year. I don’t know about you, but somebody is eating my hotdogs. I really don’t care for hotdogs all that much; however, sometimes when I am watching television at night with my husband, a commercial for Sonic will come on and they will show a foot long coney with cheese and chili and mustard… or a Ballpark Franks commercial will come on and some little kid will be smiling while eating a hotdog…and right at that moment…I REALLY WANT A HOTDOG!

Sometimes that commercial is then followed by a Coke commercial. You know the one where you hear the ice tinkling in the glass, then you hear the familiar pop of the can or of the lid being unscrewed, then you hear the pouring and fizzing of the Coke over the ice and then the person gulping. Well then, I REALLY WANT A HOTDOG and A COKE!

The power of suggestion is amazing isn’t it? Advertisers use it to their advantage all the time. One night several years ago my husband and I were watching television and a “Be like Mike” Gatorade commercial came on. Greg got up, went to the refrigerator, got a Gatorade and sat back down. He did it without even thinking about it. I made fun of him that he was too easily manipulated; but the reality is when we see someone else enjoying something; we often want that thing too.

Wouldn’t it be great if we as Christians used the power of suggestion to advertise Jesus? If others saw us enjoying Jesus so much that they wanted Him too? If our lives were so changed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, that others wanted to be like us? I am currently teaching an Angela Thomas study called “Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering” and in it she says: “When I am empty or without spiritual hunger, if I can come alongside someone who desires God, then I feel my spirit being renewed in their presence… After I have been with a spiritual giant, my heart is renewed. My spirit longs for more of God. She has sloshed out Jesus and made me thirsty.”

This is where the truth in the song comes out. I kind of want to be an Oscar Meyer Weiner so everyone would be in love with not me but Jesus in me. Changed so much by my Redeemer that people want to know what the difference is. I want to have people come alongside me and hunger and thirst for Christ because I have “sloshed him out” all over the place. I want them to see Him in me and then want to taste Him too.

Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) In this day and time when so many people are searching for something to fill them because they feel so empty – shouldn’t we be advertising Jesus as much as possible with our lives? We should let them know that He is worth hungering and thirsting for (much more than a hotdog and a coke). Let’s let our lives make others want to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

10 comments:

Missy said...

This is such a wonderful post Amy!

I am hopping around reading some of the entries. This is a great one. If I were deciding, it would be on my short list ;)

Carol said...

This is so awesome!! Girl, you slosh out some Jesus, too!

ocean mommy said...

SOOOOO good!

And YES, it's in my head. :)

Celly B said...

What a creative idea! It inspires me to try to do some great advertising for Christ!

Heather said...

Oh this was terrific! The power of suggestion is so amazing so we should utilize that as a light in this dark world. It made me think of the words to a favorite song: "Shine. Make them wonder what you got..."

Janet Roller said...

Amy-
So good. Funny, true and inspiring. I just hope when people look at me, they are hungering for Jesus - and not "hot dogs".
Great job. Hope you win.

Julie said...

What a beautiful post. I loved it. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to read mine.

I am with you on watching for God in everyday life.
I am passionate about Him and long for His Spirit to slosh out of me. I'm gonna have to pick up that Angela Thomas book. It sounds awesome.

The Shack is an awesome book, not intense at all.
It gives a beautiful view of God in my perspective, unlike anything I've ever read before and I've read ALOT of books.

I see you are a Georgia resident. I live in Ellijay.

Again, thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,
Juile

Wifeof1Momof4 said...

Thank you for making me think. I advertise everyday for Coach, Doone and Burke, my favorite store Target, so how much more can I advertise for my Savior and what He has done for me? Thank you, thank you for making me think.

Sandy said...

Hi, I wanted to pop in and thank you for your recent visit to Quill Cottage and for your sweet comments. Feel free to visit anytime and blessings on your day!

Miss Sandy

Kimberly said...

Okay,
You came by my place, and I was so amazed that you lived in Sptbg. that I had to come back to your place! :) I LOVE this post!!!! I have actually been tossing around a post in my head called "Let's Eat" about those same scripture! So funny!
Anyways, it is so nice to meet you. I actually just go to First North for MOPS. I attend Evangel. I love First North, too, though, and I'm doing a Bible Study there right now.
Okay, this is a LONG comment! Well, I'm off to bookmark your page! So glad we have "met"! Talk to you later!
Blessings,
Kimberly