WEIRD – Because NORMAL isn’t Working

That’s the title of a book written by Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of Life.Church which has many U.S. satellite churches plus others around the world that use their resources. Also, from Life.Church has come the free YouVersion Bible app. Our new normal is often reading the Bible from our cell phones anywhere, any time and we can even carry it in our hip pocket!

I still enjoy my flip-through-the-pages “normal” Bible but I also enjoy the new normal of accessing my Bible app or finding scriptures I need for my blogs or my personal enrichment by simply typing in “scripture for joy; or peace; or hope, etc.” on my computer’s address bar and all kinds of scriptures pop up.

When Pastor Craig wrote the book, “Wierd”, he was referring to his family’s lifestyle. It is one of a Christ-centered philosophy of being fully devoted followers of Christ to show people how to break out of “normal” ruts and live lives of authentic devotion to God while practicing the truths of His Word. Many folks would call that lifestyle “weird”, but it’s the way that has worked in my life, too. After what we’ve been through in the last months and even years — I’m holding to the old normal of trusting in God’s amazing grace, as well as a new normal of shifting in ways that needed to be changed anyway. Let’s face it — “normal” folks are stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Many of their relationships are strained and, just surviving. So, we might as well abandon our old normal to be a little “weird”, different, Christ-centered, Bible-believing,. love-dealing Christians who march to the beat of a different (but better) drum.

What have we got to lose? Oh! That’s easy to answer — the craziness of “normal”. Remember, normal, the quote goes, is nothing more than a setting on a dryer.

Many are longing for their lives to be normal again and to get back to the predictable and comfortable. But, more than likely, we will never have life as it used to be. Things will never be the same. We might as well adapt as we go and even adapt to a Christ-centered life of love and grace for our fellow brothers and sisters. It’s like changes I’ve experienced since “the good old days when chewing gum was the worst offense in school”. Really, things will never be the same. And, honestly, that may be a good thing. We shouldn’t be looking back, when we should be looking forward. Many of the changes we’ve adapted to, just might become our new normal. We have comfort in this — one thing, rather, our ONE God, NEVER changes.

I don’t think I could say it better than the Christian music group, Jesus Culture, does in their song: “Your Love Never Fails”
[Chorus]
You stay the same through the ages / Your love never changes / There may be pain in the night / But joy comes in the morning / And when the oceans rage / I don’t have to be afraid / Because I know that You love me / Your love never fails
[Bridge]
‘Cause You make all things, work together for my good
You make all things, work together for my good
‘Cause You make all things, work together for my good
‘Cause You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good!”

I love that line that repeated over and over again. And, it is so true. We don’t have to have NORMAL, as it was, back again, because maybe we needed this SHIFT into a new NORMAL. We just need to keep following He Who never changes – lean on Him and trust Him to give us the wisdom and strength to advance into a new season. 2 Peter 3:14 says: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”