I’m really excited to be back after a couple of weeks off, and eager to get back to normal! As I write the word ‘normal’, I can feel a challenge coming on. What does ‘normal’ look like? I suppose it’s the same routine, same people, same conversations, same frustrations, the same expectations? Maybe our ‘normal’ is created and carried on by the life we choose to embrace and the principles we decide to live by. For some of us, we feel a bit swept along by the environment that surrounds us. I believe that God wants to give us back some control. Today we can blow the whistle, shout, ‘STOP!’ and allow the Lord to guide us to a new normal.
I love the book of Acts; it is so empowering! From the account of Jesus appearing to the disciples in His resurrected state and speaking to them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3) through to the sending of the Holy Spirit to fill and equip the believers (Acts 2), who, in turn, impacted the world and shook the spiritual landscape across the continents, these accounts are so full of inspiration and challenge! I hope I never cease to be amazed by this book and the way it calls us to pursue and live in the light of ‘kingdom normality’! The early church chose to be the influence rather than the influenced in a world where they were surrounded by opposition, as they chose ‘kingdom’ to be their new normal and consequently, many lives were changed!