Regular Life

I have been thinking a lot lately about how I got here.  I guess I'm being sentimental from knowing I'm moving.  I've been thinking about when I first felt called into ministry.  I was probably not more than 12.  Maybe a little bit younger.  Then I started growing up, and I realized that I didn't want to be in any kind of ministry.  I wanted a "regular life."  I don't know all of what I meant by that, but I'm pretty sure it went along regular lines--a handsome and romantic husband, a big house with all the trimmings, success in whatever job I end up wanting to pursue, and money to do what I want.  I know that part of my definition of "regular" was that God wouldn't ask me to do anything hard or anything that I didn't want to do.  I decided while I was in college I wanted to be a lukewarm Christian, so that God would let me have a "regular" life.  I actually remember the day I made that decision--the decision to follow God halfheartedly, and try to have a "regular life."

Because when I was really with God, I felt like life had to be lived with purpose.  And that's not what I wanted.

Have you ever been there?  With God, our lives are so fraught with purpose!  The crazy thing is that no matter what He has called you to do, it's full of purpose.  He wants you to do it with purpose for Him.  It isn't "regular" because He has purpose in it.  I think back over the time when I was trying to live halfway in God's plan and halfway in "regular."  I wasn't happy or fulfilled.  I was in sin in so many ways that I thought were ok, because I was tuning out the Spirit of God.  "Regular" stank!

As I look around at my life now I think I just needed a new definition of regular.  Regular is what is normal, and for Christians, shouldn't it be normal to do whatever God wants?  This IS regular.  This is not special--it's no big deal to head to Africa.  It is regular!  My definition of regular has to change with what God tells me to do.  Whatever it is, it is my new regular.  And whatever He tells you is your new regular.  Let's all live a regular life!