I was reflecting on the growing political posturing for the presidential elections coming up (sort of) and musing over the fact that Donald Trump is still leading in the popularity polls for the Republicans. I am convinced that many people like Donald Trump because what has become “normal” in politics has become revolting to most people. Everyone talks about change, making a difference. However, we know that the newly elected officials face a massive political mess just trying to get to their office in the morning. Most have little hope that something will change that and they will get to deal with the real issues. Donald Trump is not the typical politician and seems to say what a lot of others are afraid to say. You interpret his attraction, his down-to-earth, no-nonsense, even “gruff” style feels different than typical political correctness.

Juxtapose that with some spiritual reflections, some reading I am doing in message preparation for this week; and the question I am asking this week is: What does normal Christian look like? Why? It is possible that much of what we accept as normal Christian living (in our own life) is as politically correct as politics in Washington. I am not advocating we start become gruff or posturing for the sake of being different, but are we really in stride with what God calls us to be, and do, from the Scriptures. We might use England as an example and how the spiritual temperature of England has deteriorated consistently. It feels nominal or maybe lukewarm if we dare use such a term… at least when one looks at the energy of the church culture it appears as such. Of course, the spiritual culture may be going in exactly the same direction in the United States as well.

So here is the question: Is it possible, in your own individual life, that you may be accepting a level of spirituality, commitment, discipline (or whatever you would call it) that is settling for a relationship with God that is below the water line, so to speak? For a God who is worthy of absolute devotion, energy and passion?” The hard part is that most of us would naturally say – “I’m doing the best that I can” and we can hardly envision anything different.

So, if you were to picture one year, five, or ten years down the road, do you have any vision of being different spiritually? Not merely because circumstance dictates relative changes, but because of a growing love and passion for God and commitment to His mission in the world?

Pastor Brad