"That is completely normal." - a commonly used phrase, but for completely different reasons (but most recently and powerfully used by my new friend Rick last Tuesday night in my basement)
They way most of us eat is completely normal, but it's not good.
They way most of us think is completely normal, but it's not healthy.
The way most of us act and interact is completely normal, but it's not best.
The way most of us go about success is normal, but it's not right.
The standards most of us use to measure ourselves are normal, but they are not Christ.
Don't get me wrong...I find so much comfort, and hope you do too, to know that some of our deepest, darkest struggles, habits, and behaviors (the ones that are self-defeating and bring us death) are not unique to me. It is quite nice to know that I am normal.
But there has to come a point when we who follow Christ confront normal, and create a new normal.
For those that follow Christ...
It is normal stay in things when they are hard.
It is normal to forgive everything of everyone.
It is normal to share our deepest thoughts, sins, and struggles.
It is normal to share our ideals, dreams, and joys.
It is normal to suffer humiliation for our faults and not be crushed by it.
It is normal to be patient with our kids.
It is normal to honor our parents even when they are undeserving.
It is normal to sacrifice anything temporary for the good of someone else's temporary.
It is normal to consider who we are around and be sensitive about what comes out of our mouths.
It is normal to defend people's hearts from the wounds that come from others.
It is normal to defend the hearts of those "others" that did the wounding.
It is normal to love and want the best for our enemies.
It is normal to use prayer as our answer for everything.
It is normal to suffer for the joy of it.
It is normal to swallow our pride for our spouses daily and like it.
It is normal to be free.
It is normal to feel peace.
It is normal to have joy.
It is normal to live in ways that bring about life to the full.
It's the new normal. And if we are not in the process of creating a new normal, we are not in the process of bringing about the Kingdom of Christ.
Most people I know that do not have the above as their "normal" are normally:
1. Not following Christ.
2. Pretending they are following Christ.
3. Calling what they are doing following Christ.
4. Following Christ part time.
5. Saying they don't need Christ.
6. In love with their own potential for Christ.
7. Disbelieving that the "new normal" is possible at all, calling Christ an "impossible ideal".
My desire is to constantly be creating a "new normal" for my life, and helping others do the same. It is grueling, sometimes slow, confronting, emotion-producing, status quo breaking, opposed work. And it is the best possible life.
4 comments:
Brian,
This is a very good post. Well said. You paint a great picture of what we are meant to be in Christ.
Great post brother.
You have a great talent on showing us the commitment that Jesus wants us to have.
Keep up the great posts.
I added your blog to my favorites and look forward to reading more of your posts in the future.
God bless you as you serve Him brother.
Good post!
Normal? First we have to decide what the standard will be. As you correctly point out, Christ must be the standard for we who follow him.
As the Bible teaches, we are unwise if we compare ourselves by ourselves. We are all valuable, and potentially usefull, but all flawed.
His peace,
Royce
YET IN THAT THOU HAST GIVEN
Yet in that thou hast given this
Moment to be alive,
I pray, my Lord, that knowledge is
Withheld not--such as drive
The basics of economy
(Which is the marketplace)
I pray lay bare, for me to see
Albeit men´s disgrace.
Thou knowest, Lord, men fear the crash
As long prognosticated,
Yet store their faith in what they stash,
Distortion so created;
As even those that rape the land
Supplying for consumers
Believe it is no contraband,
But they exist like tumors
Upon the body politic--
Were best enucleated
The soul of each, and done it quick,
That justice might be fated.
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