I am convinced that in the Christian world we need to intentionally redefine ‘normal’. What we consider as normal is what we will instinctively gravitate towards. The Scriptures do not present an abnormal life, but normal life as God intended.
I once corrected a person on their clothing, too short, too tight, too revealing, their underwear was showing when they sat down, and not from the top, and they said they just wanted to wear something ‘normal’ for a change. I was truly stunned.
How could it be that this revealing and ungodly outfit would qualify as ‘normal’ in the eyes of a professing Christian? How far have we slipped from the standards of Christ that such dressing overtly designed to provoke lust and stir up sexual desire will encounter no resistance in the Christian psyche?
Believers are subject to constant brainwashing as to what normalcy is. Because many have not sat down to think through the underlying assumptions of societal conduct, against the injunctions of scripture, we dress like harlots, we swear like sailors, laugh at bawdy jokes, live in sin and think it’s ‘normal’ because everyone is doing it.
It is not the Christian way to follow the crowd. Faith in Christ must be accompanied by a paradigm shift, a fundamental transformation of our value system. Ministers spend their time telling people what to do, and they, though they may think those things worthwhile and good, do not necessarily consider them ‘normal’ life. They are not convinced of the intrinsic value of what they are being taught or else it would become standard behaviour.
At best they are paraterrestrial considerations that one would take on board were one to be really spiritual, and at worst unnecessary impositions to kill their joy. What they believe has not changed. Otherwise, still on the clothing illustration, we would not have to correct the same people on their cleavage this week, on the length of their skirts the week after, on the transparency or tightness of their dress the following month.
And for those who will shout legalism, consider that what you present outside is a reflection of what is going on inside you. Many indeed hide a pornographic soul in a strait laced suit, but can one hide a pure, undefiled, God pleasing heart in a figure hugging, transparent, cleavage revealing short dress?
What is ‘normal’?