Too Normal

I am confronted today with this reality; I am too normal.

I can write up a post of the crazy things I do. I can make sure all my Facebook pages paint my life in the most glorious way. I can be certain when I speak publicly to use the stories that make us all laugh and endear people to me as the speaker. I can easily make my life look so NOT normal. But the truth is I am too normal.

The one thing that my life should be distinctly marked by often fails to cause a blip on the radar.

The truth is, I follow Jesus.

I grew up in church and Jesus grabbed a hold of my life years ago. He pursued me, drew me in and rescued me.

And as a leader in a local church I strive to live a real, down to earth faith. I have purposely tried to be "an ordinary guy following an extraordinary God." In all of this purposefulness, I lose sight of the primary purpose. Jesus. I have succeeded in my mission to be normal.

The problem is that I was not meant to be normal. I don't want to get into personality abnormalities, because my list is long and complex and that is not what I mean. I have been changed. My life has been radically transformed.

Not that long ago I was a guy DRIVEN by insecurity. One of the easiest ways to build myself up was to push others down. Now I am a guy who has been changed. I find security in Jesus, not in an image or behavior I create. I am learning what it means to authentically love others. When insecurity comes up on occasion I am much stronger and much more quick to recognize the lies that insecurity will use for fuel.

Not that long ago I was plagued by pride. In the back of my mind and in the corners of my heart I stashed away the thought that I had significant advantage over others. I have been privileged to have some amazing life experiences. I found these experiences served as pillars to prop myself up and glorify myself. I have been humbled. I have met Jesus. The only one worth glorification.

Not that long ago I was a Christian man who had gotten really good at managing sin and resisting temptation. I decided that the sin which had caused me to stumble in the past would not be a part of my life and I would resist and fight until my death in order to be the man I knew I should be. Then he changed me. I went from resisting temptation to desiring more of Jesus. My heart was changed and my mind went with it. Temptation is still out there, but I have found that the freedom I desired was found not by my ability to resist but by giving my heart completely over to Jesus. He changed me.

I could go on and on and on.

My heart has been changed by Jesus.

I don't ever want to be so normal that people can know me and not know that I follow Jesus.

I recently heard a guy put it this way; "I am called to live such a radically different life, that it demands a gospel explanation."

I want my life to beg the question, "What is this good news?"

Too normal.