The ABnormal Youth: Breaking Away from the Normal

Oxford Dictionary defines "normal" as:
a. typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect
b. the usual or average state, level or standard
c. used to describe something that is what you would expect and is the same as the others of the same type.

Sounds familiar? Well, it should be. It's an easy word. And it is, sadly, what defines our generation today. Unfortunately, we are the most "normal" generation since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. Just like what a former professor of mine said, "Your generation is boring. Sure, you have technology, nuclear bombs and more crimes, but the thing is, nothing extraordinary happens in your time."

NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENS. Ouch! How demeaning is that? We always say that there are a lot of things that are happening in our times because of the heightening intelligence of people and machines, but we don't usually see that this idea has become so typical that everything seems to fit in the one word we're talking about now: NORMAL.

And this normalcy isn't exclusive to events. It extends up to our culture and our worldviews. Normal Youth. Sounds boring. Sounds average. Sounds...ordinary. And it's true.

Think about it. Close your eyes, and imagine. How many of your friends are smoking? Drinking? Smoking pots? Spitting curse words like they're sentence templates? Ditching school just to play computer games? Late comers? Cheaters? Non-church goers? Too many? Everyone? If the proportion of your "YES" answers to your "NO" answers is 3:1, then let me tell you, yes, this is now the normal. And are you part of them?

After I've read the book "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris, I was stunned to read (although I should have expected it) that our culture today has been so corrupted by the enemy that we are now down to "low expectations" that we still fail to reach. We are expected to do good in school, we do "fair." We are expected to help in cleaning the house during weekends, we don't do any helping at all because we're in the mall. We are expected to choose a career, we choose a job every three months. We are expected to go to church, we "unintentionally" oversleep every Sunday morning. We are expected to at least read our Bibles, we play computer games. We are expected to do give our smallest effort, we bum around. And this is "normal."

Aren't we the normal lazy lot? Sounds fun, right?

WRONG.

Jesus (speaking through Paul) said in Romans 12: 2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Even then, two thousand years ago, God saw the decadence of normalcy that seems to be the plague of each generation. A plague so powerful that even Christians, like you and me, seems to be afflicted by it. And that is why He wanted us to know that as His children, we have no business being normal! Because by being just like everyone, no one is able to see the transformation that we should have experienced after accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Remember my professor? The one who said something about "nothing extraordinary" happening? He is correct. It is because it is hard to have something extraordinary in the midst of normal people. Unless someone breaks from the mold.

Example, it is normal to have a really boring, dragging reporting in class, with the reporter talking in monotone with no one listening and a few sleeping. It's a reporting class. Will you last a month?

Or when watching television, you're watching channel 9 who's playing a mushy soap opera. Then you flipped to channel 11 who's also playing a cheesy soap opera. And on and on and on. Every channel showing soap operas of the same plot at the same time with the same bad actors. This is what we call normal. It's what we live. Won't you get tired? Bored, even?

This is why God called us to be different. Because if not us, who will? If you will report in the same monotone, who will liven the class? If no other channel will show something aside from bad soap operas, will you still watch the TV? I doubt it.

That is why we, as Christians, are being called by Christ to be bold enough to break from the mold. To do the extraordinary. To be different for the glory of His name. We are said to be the salt and light of this world. But how can we be called light if we are living in darkness and is swallowed by it? How can we be salt when we are being washed away by waves after waves of the world's tastelessness? Isn't it better to be called the "UNIQUE" one because we do and cause something different?

Yes, unique. You know, as in "the one and only." Not the "unique just like everyone else." That second one is bad. It only means you're being a variety of the normal.

And what better way to be unique than being the different kind of youth? Young people today seems to be content doing nothing, being nothing, producing nothing. Content to be drinking beer, smoking a cigarette, and letting their youth slowly (boringly) pass by without qualms or worry. BE DIFFERENT.

When normal youth refuse to grow up, take responsibilities. When they want to remain confused, be focus! Have a goal. And when they want to maintain status quo so that their tinie-tiny world won't crumble, make a huge wave.

Remember that we are anointed by the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit doesn't give us the spirit of timidity, but instead, it gives us the spirit of power, courage, and strength. Be BOLD. Be ABNORMAL.

Ooops! Did I really read that word correctly? Abnormal? Are you kidding me?! Aren't those the kids with Down Syndrome, face disfigurement or something? And you want me to be like that?! You're kidding right?

NO, I'm not.

Being abnormal isn't always negative. Remember, God loves the "special" children because they have humble spirits. Haven't you wonder, even once, where special children go when they have fulfilled their mission in this world? They go to heaven. No questions asked. God loves them very much. The world may persecute them, but God has only beautiful things to say about these children. Amazing isn't it? It is the same way with us.

We are called to "not conform any longer to the patterns of this world," in short, different, because it is what is pleasing to the sight of God. Noah was called insane because he built a huge arc when it hasn't rain for so long, but God loved him. David was called mad because he wanted to fight a giant that no muscled man will take, but God loved him and raised him above others. Jesus was persecuted because what He taught were believed to be fallacies by the Pharisees, but he was God's most anointed. And God dearly loved Him.

They were all different--abnormal--but God was with them. And after the persecution, they were blessed mightily. Doesn't that makes you want to be ABnormal, too?

"...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." That says it all, right? When we become different for the better, we see God's perfect will. We receive His reward. I want that. Do you?

Remember that being normal isn't always good. Sometimes, to be extraordinary, you have to be against the ordinary. You have to put the "extra" in all your efforts. Just like the Rebelution about "Doing Hard Things," so is being ABnormal about making extraordinary things.

Break-away from the normal. It's hard, but you can do it. You are anointed to be beyond the normal youth. It's time to be ABnormal for God.

To God be all the glory!