Kingdom Minded - Normal
Being Kingdom Minded: What Normal Should Look Like for Christians
What does it mean to be "normal" as a Christian? The world's definition of normal and God's definition are vastly different. When we become more kingdom-minded, our perspective shifts dramatically.
What Does a Normal Christian Life Really Look Like?
I once read a book called "When Heaven Invades Earth." In the first chapter, it described miraculous events: people being raised from the dead at an accident scene, a man with a neck brace and canes being completely healed at a wedding. The chapter was titled "The Normal Christian Life."
I closed the book thinking, "That's not normal in my life or anywhere I know." But should it be?
The truth is, the more you chase after God and spend time with Him, the less "normal" you'll appear to the world. You'll be labeled as one of those "Bible thumpers" or "holy rollers." But that's exactly what should be happening.
Why Does the World See Christians as Strange?
In Jeremiah 20, we see a glimpse of what it means to be truly committed to God's message:
"You pushed me into this, God, and I let you do it. You were too much for me, and now I'm a public joke. They all poke fun at me... But if I say, 'Forget it, no more God messages from me,' the words are fire in my belly, a burning in my bones. I'm worn out trying to hold it in. I can't do it any longer."
Kingdom-minded people aren't worried about the outcome of speaking God's truth. They're concerned about being obedient to what God has placed inside them. They speak the truth in love because the days are growing shorter.
How Should Christians Handle Sin in the Church?
The normal Christian life involves loving people enough to tell them the truth. In many churches today, church discipline has disappeared. We've become so afraid of being labeled as "judgmental" that we allow sin to continue unchecked.
True love sometimes means saying, "Brother, we love you too much to keep fellowshipping with you while you're living in sin. We'll welcome you back when you repent." This isn't about rejection—it's about restoration.
The kingdom-minded church cares as much about the people inside the building as those outside. Judgment starts in the house of the Lord, beginning with our own hearts.
What Did Jesus Teach About Trusting God with Everything?
In Matthew 19, a rich young man asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, and when the man claimed he had done so, Jesus said, "If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me."
The man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. Jesus wasn't necessarily telling him to literally sell everything—He saw the man's heart and knew where his true treasure was.
The normal Christian life says, "God, you can have everything." It's about complete surrender, not partial commitment. When money begins to have us, we become stingy. But kingdom-minded people say, "Though you slay me, yet will I trust you."
How Should Christians Respond to Impossible Situations?
In Matthew 14, we see Peter walking on water—something completely unnatural and impossible by human standards. But this should be normal for Christians who trust God completely.
Think about other "impossible" situations in Scripture:
Feeding 5,000 with a few fish and loaves of bread
Jesus telling Peter to catch a fish with money in its mouth to pay taxes
Noah building an ark when it had never rained
Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son
Moses parting the Red Sea
You may never part a sea or walk on water, but when you face situations that seem as insurmountable as an ocean, God cares just as much for you in that moment as He did for them. That should be the normal Christian life—trusting God no matter how big the obstacle.
Why Are Christians Called to Be "Peculiar People"?
1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
In the King James Version, it calls us a "peculiar people." Yes, we're weird to the world! We follow and trust a God who allowed Himself to be put on a cross, beaten, tortured, and killed.
Consider these "weird" examples of faith:
Noah building an ark when it had never rained
Abraham willing to sacrifice his son
The woman with the issue of blood risking her life to touch Jesus' garment
Stephen praising God while being stoned to death
How Can I Trust God When Everything Seems Impossible?
Kingdom-minded people face seemingly impossible situations with faith. They throw out human logic because one plus one with God equals whatever He says it equals.
When you lose your home in a hurricane, when your child is sick and you have no money for a doctor, when you're called to buy a building with no resources—these are the moments when normal Christians say, "I don't know exactly what method God will use, but I know He'll come through."
God never asked what was in your bank account or what your abilities were when He called you to trust Him. He simply asks, "Will you trust me?"
What About God's Forgiveness and Grace?
The normal Christian life includes accepting God's complete forgiveness. The Bible says He throws our sins "as far as the east is from the west." Unlike north and south, which eventually meet at the poles, east and west never meet—they're infinitely separated.
In a world that refuses to forgive, God chooses to forget our sins completely. That's not normal to the world, but it should be normal for us.
Life Application
This week, I challenge you to embrace being "abnormal" by the world's standards. Choose one area where you've been trying to fit in with the world's way of thinking, and intentionally shift to a kingdom mindset instead.
Ask yourself:
Where am I still trusting in my own abilities rather than God's provision?
Am I speaking truth in love to those around me, or am I avoiding difficult conversations?
What impossible situation am I facing that needs God's supernatural intervention?
Have I fully accepted God's forgiveness, or am I still carrying guilt for past sins?
Remember, the normal Christian life isn't about being accepted by the world. It's about pleasing God in all situations. Without faith, it is impossible to please God—and faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.
Don't try to make your faith palatable to the world. Let the Holy Spirit work in people's hearts, and be willing to look a little weird for the sake of the kingdom.
