Catalyst

There are a few common phrases that I absolutely hate when it comes to things that are contrary to God's will.  They include phrases like, "It's normal," "Everybody does that," "That's life," and "That's just who I am."  These are all phrases that serve to take away our responsibility and pretend like we don't havepower to do anything about whatever is being spoken of.  I don't think God will accept these answers when asked why we didn't do anything to help change some of the things that are contrary to His will but have come to be seen as normal.


Porn has become normalized.  Instead of fighting it, it is common for people just to expect that men will view porn and in many cases view them as odd if they don't.  Not appropriatley dealing with conflict has been normalized.  It has the power to damage and even end relationships, but it's viewed as a normal part of life and rarely seen as something that needs to be changed unless perhaps violence is involved.  Only investing in the people we want to invest in and not those that God puts in our paths that might be a challenge to love is seen as normal and totally accepted.  Being so busy that we don't have time for what's actually important and not having solid priorities is seen as normal and even as a good thing.  It's seen as just a part of the way the world works when some people suffer from lack while others have beyond what they need, and I'm not just talking about material things here.  It's also not uncommon for us to rationalize having more by saying that we did something to earn it and the other person didn't.  Rarely is failing to keep one's word thought of as an issue, and if someone is hurt by that, they're considered to be too sensitive.  This is just a small list of things that have become rationalized as being normal.


We have the power to change these things and that power begins with acknowledging that they're not just normal.  They may be normal in the sense that sin is normal, but that doesn't mean that God approves of them.  We have the power to refuse porn and there is help for those who need it.  There are healthy ways of conflict that can help build relationships if we are willing to learn and practice them.  Loving is a command- a call to action that is based on God's love and not our feelings about a person; we can show His love to the people that are difficult for us to love.  We can choose our priorities and fix our schedule around them.  We don't have to be so busy all the time.  It may require sacrifice, but we don't have to be so busy.  We can generously give to those who lack what we have extra of.  We can do what we say were going to do and be more aware of what we commit to.  Al of these things require sacrifice on our part.


Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice to help us change these things- His life.  The Holy Spirit work in us to change these things.  Jesus gave us an example of how to live that flew in the face of everone's definition of normal in some way, both then and now.  Jesus was a catalyst.  He didn't care about normal; His mission was to change people's hearts and have them embrace Kingdom values instead of the norms of a fallen world.  Sometimes they're the same, but sometimes they're not.  I've focused on the things that are normal that need to be changed, but there are also things that may not be normal that should be embraced.  Sometimes those go hand in hand with rejecting the things that are normal and not beneficial.  Jesus challenged the status quo and not just for the sake of challenging it.  He wants for His followers to be catalysts as well.  His disciples did an excellent job of this and turned the world upside down.  We can do the same if we are willing to examine the Bible and our traditions and rely on God's truth instead of norms.  The Holy Spirit is waiting to help us.


I want to be redeemed from anything which is considered normal but is not like God's character.  I believe Christ died to redeem me from that.  I alo believe that redemption is meant to lead me to participate in Christ's redemptive work in the world in whatever ways He leads me.  I believe that as I become healthier in my walk with Him, it will affect those around me.  Some may not like it and choose to leave.  Others may stick with me and God may use it to redeem areas of their lives as well and we can grow together.  I think that's a beauty of Christianity that we miss out on because of "normal".