“Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.”  Jodie Foster

Recall the last time you did something truly exceptional.

And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God.  (Matt 15:6; NLT)

Last week, I wrote on why being normal was not something to aspire to.  Now I would like to turn to the question, “What is normal?”  In researching that question, the best answer I found was that given by Dr. Jim Richards whose ministry is today’s link.  The following is his explanation pretty much word-for-word:

Jesus said culture (tradition-KJV) has the power to make Word of God of no effect in your life [Matt. 15:6, Mark 7:13].  What is culture?

Culture is established when people reach the limits to which they’re willing to live. Then to justify their position they create groups (e.g., denominations, civilizations, etc.) that ban together and attempt to use the power of numbers to feel comfortable with the limitations they’ve accepted.

After they’ve banned together for safety and security, then they ban together to persecute anyone who would go beyond their defined limits.  Why?  Because anybody who could go beyond their limits would prove that they were wrong and thereby upset their ability to be comfortable living a life with limits.

Once something has been accepted over a long period of time, it becomes our definition of normal.  So sometimes, normal just means I’m in the same rut that everyone else is living in, or in other words, normal means I’ve accepted all the limitations that everyone around me accepts.

Once we begin to establish normal, we limit our capacity to see, experience, or do things that are beyond that limitation.  Normal limits people…it stifles creativity.

Ever notice how, in sports for instance, when someone breaks a particular record, it’s not long until that new record becomes the new normal?  Roger Bannister broke through the age-old barrier of the 4-minute mile, and since then, his record has been broken countless times.  Once the new record became normal, people began to believe they too could do it…and they did.

What is exceptional today will be normal tomorrow.

Prayer Power
Lord, again we praise You and thank You that You didn’t make us normal.  Grant us the discernment to see when those around us, our culture, is deceptively drawing us into their “normal” box.  Thank You for our distinctives.

Link of the Day
Impact Ministries

Blessings on you as you become exceptional today.