Lot’s of things going on these days. If you are shockingly out of the loop you may not have heard we have an election in a few weeks. So far it has not been as contentions as previous cycles but that could change. The leader of the United States, abortion laws, and who you want to represent you at various levels of government are up for grabs.
The economy is great, unless it is not. No one seems to be sure. Are we growing or on the verge of recession. You may be doing great but 20-year-olds and many young families are working multiple jobs and can’t make it. Got a house, you are good. Don’t have a house, you may not ever get one!
I hope you job is going well. Unfortunately, people who work for Amazon, Stellantis, CVS, Verizon, or General Motors are at risk of being one of the 22 thousand+ jobs being eliminated. It is messy out there.
In the middle of this is your life. Headlines are headlines but your day to day likely has most of your attention. Certainly, how things shake out politically and economically can/will have a big impact on your day to day but there is only so much you do about that.
By the way, I hope you will exercise your right to vote…it cost too much for you not to embrace the privilege won for you. However, after you vote, there are limited things you can do to alter the national political situation and the overall economy.
Where does faith fit into all of this? I am glad you asked!!!
Faith doesn’t “fit in”.
Everything fits around your faith. That may sound like semantics but it isn’t. If you are a follower of Jesus, everything else revolves around you following Jesus. From the big nation shaping things like elections and the economy to the day-to-day things like stopping at the store on your way home from work.
EVERYTHYING, ALL THE TIME, FITS AROUND FOLLOWING JESUS.
Well yes, but…. NO. There are no buts.
If we are going to follow Jesus and want our life to be like Jesus’ then it follows, we will need to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus and it wasn’t life like everyone else was living.
The simplest example is our physical health. Everyone wants to be healthy. Look good in those pants, be able to look in the mirror without being upset, and not fear the next doctor appointment.
If we want to be healthy, we have to…..wait for it……live a healthy lifestyle! The pizza, Dr Peppers, and finger crunch exercises from using the TV remote won’t cut it.
If I want healthy, I will need to adopt some different life patterns. What I eat, how much I sleep, drinking more water, getting physically active must become part of my day to day life.
You know the drill.
The same thing applies when it comes to your mental, emotional, and spiritual life. Following Jesus means my life will not look like every other life.
If it feels like this would lead to a different, even strange kind of life, you are correct. Most of us don’t like the idea or being strange or being thought of as a stranger. I get that, but let’s examine the “normal” life for a moment.
When I compare types of life I find the “normal” life people live is often marked by anxiety, a level of busyness that keeps them from the things they want most, low-key exhaustion, a sense of loneliness creating uncertainty, and a failure to grasp a meaningful and stable identity.
These aren’t my uneducated observations these are self-reported findings from dozens of mental health surveys. When more than 50% of people are feeling a certain way, that in essence becomes what is normal. Even if it is not healthy.
So how sure are you about wanting to be normal?
I don’t.
Not if that is normal.
If living with a sense of peace that creates physical and mental rest, having a sure identity, knowing I belong to people who love me, and having a purpose makes me strange…sign me up.
Normal isn’t working for people, maybe it is time to try something strange. We are starting a new sermon series on Sunday, October 27th called Stranger Life.
It is normal to feel like a stranger when you start at a new school, a new job or move to a new place. They do things differently and you don’t know all the ins and outs yet. The assumption is soon you will fit in and no longer feel strange but instead belong and get comfortable. The idea of staying a stranger is well…strange. Maybe it is good to be a stranger and live a stranger life.
Your best life includes being a stranger. It also includes being consistently remarkable. Doing what everyone else does and living like everyone else lives will only get you a life that looks like everyone else’s life. You are designed to live life as a stranger, a stranger that makes a mark for all the right reasons. A stranger life is great, it means you are choosing to live a consistently remarkable life.
Why settle for normal when normal is broken?
The primary way you can make the Sundays following better is by engaging and by bringing someone with you.
My guess is you know someone who is feeling the anxiety, exhaustion, loneliness, and uncertainty. Invite them to join you.
By the time the series is over we should all have a much clearer and more confident understanding about the direction of life. We will realize where our first loyalty lies (hint it isn’t with a country or government) and see how we can shape our day-to-day in ways that may not look normal but bring life.
Looking forward to living a Stranger Life with you!
If you want some help inviting your friends, share this link to let them know what to expect if they come to Mt Ridge
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