I'll be honest, here is where I am with this. Here is my petition to God. Lord, show me where I have given up what is "normal" for what is "common." And, where am I allowing it in my life and in the lives of my children. The whole phrase struck me in January when we were listening to Jimmy Evans. He said there are many, many, many things in this world that are "common," but they are absolutely not "normal" regardless of whether we accept them as that way or not. Wow. Really. Just wow.
I looked up those words in my trusty 1828 Webster's Dictionary.
NORMAL: According to a rule or principle.
COMMON: Belonging equally to more than one, or to many indefinitely; as life and sense are common to man and beast; the common privileges of citizens; the common wants of man; belonging to the public, having no separate owner; general; serving for the use of all; public; usual; ordinary; of no rank or superior excellence. Applied to things, it signifies, not distinguished by excellence or superiority.
Uhmmm, "common," no thank you. I want "normal." I want God's normal. And, what's more, as believers "normal" is not a secret. It's spelled out in the Bible. It's called God's will for us and it is no mystery. Humbled. Seeking His face for the places we have substituted what is common in the eyes of the world, what is accepted as normal, but really isn't.
See, Jesus wasn't a boring guy. He laughed. He lived. He loved. He didn't lack. He didn't compare. He never, ever, ever compromised. And, His favorite place to be was smack in the middle of sinners showing them the way. People were absolutely drawn to Him. People absolutely still are drawn to Him, by Him. Why follow a guy who is plain vanilla? Jesus rocked it and He rocked it with those of us ... me ... who need Him. No compromising. No "common." Only "normal." God's way. Oh, Lord, help me to live this way.
"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30
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