This morning after reading My Utmost for His Highest (February 10), I spoke aloud saying, “Why is it so convoluted…the normal thinking person wouldn’t understand a word of it!” Then the forceful voice intruded with: “None of My children are normal thinking!” I had to laugh, and said, “You’re right, Lord!”
Because we aren’t! Let’s think on this a bit here. Our thinking goes contrary to what the world has labeled “normal.” As Christians, our talk is not normal, we don’t think normal, we don’t act normal, and we don’t do normal (activities and recreation…refer to Psalm 1:1, 2). What normal-thinking person goes around saying, “Look up” and talks about being caught-up to meet Jesus in the air before all hell breaks loose on this earth? It really doesn’t conform to the standard definition of normal, does it?
We don’t even go where “normal” people go! We don’t drink, and we don’t party. We don’t curse and tell people where to stuff it, now do we? (Although some most likely do in the back of their minds!) We don’t envy, we don’t murder, we don’t commit adultery, we don’t worship anything or anybody but Christ. Come on! How can this possibly ever be viewed as normal?
We don’t even hate our enemies. That’s our sign, by the way. Do you know that the world knows and recognizes this as the mark of a genuine Christian? Why? Because to unbelievers it is the hardest thing to do; to the believer, it is the easiest thing to do, for we have the love of Christ in us. We love because we cannot do otherwise. We love, not in the way the world loves, but in the way God loves. This is exactly why, while they don’t understand it; they recognize that only a God-filled person can do.
So, no, “normal” is not something we are. We went from the world’s “normal” to uncommon…uncommon Christianity. The effect is stupendous. If you don’t fall into this category, then ask yourself why not. When you act like the world does, and speak as the world speaks, and go where the world goes, then you are still “normal.” You may say you are a Christian but your worldly actions cause other Christians to think, so why are you acting like you’re not, you don’t belong with us anymore. Normality then fails on both counts, not only with them (the world), but with us (Christians).
This separation has a price. But it is a price the true believer has to be willing to pay. Sometimes the separation takes place slowly as the believer grows in the faith, but at other times it accelerates and it can be painful. Once the believer accepts that separation is part of the package of walking hand in hand with the Lord, it won’t be as painful because it will not matter. On the contrary it shows you are being set apart from those that are against whom you serve.
Even in the Christian world, we can sniff out who is genuine or not. There is a term used which I truthfully despise; worldly Christian. Let’s call it what it is, okay? A pseudo-Christian; a wanna-be Christian; a fake Christian; or, an undecided Christian. I have also heard: an unbelieving Christian. Though an oxymoron, this one is easier to understand than all the rest I’ve mentioned here.
It leaves one to think about our own standing, doesn’t it? Yes, where do we fall in? Are we still trying to carry on as normal, or are we distinctly known for not being normal? The duck analogy still stands. What our world is, betrays what our soul is. There is more confusion about this in a Christian (who has not yet not made this distinction) than the person who has and that person is usually found in the world of “normal.”
We have to ask ourselves some questions here. How do we come across to others? How are we being perceived? These are our mirrors, reflecting exactly what we bring across to others. We are measured and found guilty very easily, by the very people we hide our Christianity from.
I say hide because if you act like you are part of the world then hiding is in effect here. And it may be that this realization hasn’t hit you yet, so it hasn’t been done on purpose. But Christianity doesn’t allow for a middle road. We can’t please the world by operating as the world does once we know who we are in Christ.
We can’t blend in folks, we are to stand out. This is the gist of Christianity. And that is the difference between not being normal, and trying to be.