Our last sermon series “Broke is normal. Don’t be normal. Be weird” has me still asking lots of questions even 3 weeks later. As I was perusing the aisles in Target (don’t tell my husband, j/k he already knows) I came across this journal that said, “Don’t be like the rest of them, darling.” It struck me. Was it pompous? Self-righteous? Narcissistic? Snobby? And then I thought about the series we were in- “BE WEIRD”. Then I thought about Jesus. He wasn’t normal, he wasn’t like the rest of them. He was set apart. He literally opposed culture in every way.
I think sometimes in my desire to be in the world but not of it, approachable, gracious, and loving I have lowered that standard for myself and others. How much has culture clouded my lense? How much have I succumbed to the world’s perspective? I’m not saying we should be self-righteous," judgy”, condemning Christians. I am saying, it’s okay to take a stance. It’s okay to be looked at as weird. It’s okay to not be like the rest of the world. In fact, we shouldn’t be.
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
John 17:15-18 “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
My prayer for us is that we are not conformed to the world, but transformed by Jesus and His word. Jesus has us here to bring transformation, to bring change, to be set apart unto Him. The change starts with us. Let’s continue to be weird! Don’t be like the rest of them!
In Him,
Mindi