Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 before reading the devotional below.
Sometimes I feel like I live a ridiculous life. Other times I feel like it is the most common sense way to live. Paul felt the same way. When the Holy Spirit is leading you and compelling you to action, you may do strange things. I have made a lot of decisions in my life that the world might view as foolish, but they make complete sense in light of God’s kingdom.
The good news is we don’t have to use the world’s standards to evaluate our lives. Supernatural living requires a supernatural perspective. “What’s going to last for eternity?” is a better question than, “What can I do to get myself ahead?” When your mission is to reconcile the world to God, you might have some pretty other-worldly means of doing it.
Here’s your freedom for today:
You can break the mold.
Most of the time, earthly standards just result in a whole bunch of people doing the same thing to feel “different.” That hairstyle or outfit isn’t self-expression so much as conformity to a group. When you are seeking to conform to God’s image, different things matter. When you are trying to help others see themselves as God sees them, suddenly life isn’t all about you. You don’t have to be like everybody else, and you don’t have to have American ideals and goals to succeed. Following Jesus might mean walking away from your stable career or helping someone in need even when it costs you. It might mean risking jail for the Gospel as Paul did. What would your life look like if your primary job title was “Christ’s ambassador”?