Anti-Conformity

I've spent most of my life wanting to fit in. Whatever that means. The older I get, the less I care about that. I have lived a common life and I'm restless. I know there's more and I want to experience it. I want uncommon health, uncommon peace, uncommon joy, uncommon experiences. I think God wants that for us too. He says in his word that He will do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask or think. The bigger we can imagine, the greater we will experience. The word also says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Think common and you are common. But, God is not common and Jesus didn't lay down His life so we could experience mediocrity.

This portion of a book I am reading, called Release Your Brilliance, by Simon T. Baily really stood out to me:

We live in a society that encourages mediocrity and conformity. Most of us are taught to go to school, get an education, get a good job, get married, buy a house, and ... settle down. We've been conditioned to conform and settle, to accept mediocrity and not to rock the boat. We've been trained to believe the lie that says, "This is what life has dealt me, and this is what I must accept."

I don't think we have to accept ordinary in our lives. All my life I've lived with the philosophy that says, don't make trouble. Don't make waves. Except, I've been in such a life altering experience for the last several years that did exactly that. I'm still experiencing the fall-out from that. There have been times when I wished I had never done it, because the result was not what I was after. But today I'm at a different mindset. I have no regrets for standing up for what I believed was right.

Isn't that the very heart of the gospel? You may be rejected and ostracized for speaking out against wrongs. You might even be talked about, lied about and falsely accused. But you know what? If you keep your eyes off people that seek only to limit you and shut you up, and keep your eyes on the truth, an amazing thing happens. You reach a place of true freedom from the snare that people of mediocrity can have on you. You stop caring what mediocrity thinks and ignoring its demands. Because you've got your sights set on excellent things, higher things, it's like you can't even hear what mediocrity is saying anymore. It's like Charlie Brown's teacher... "WA WA WA WA WA WA"

I've lived the first half of my life conforming to what I thought was acceptable to others, but I am learning, WIN OR LOSE, I must resist conforming to the common. Stepping out and failing is better than never stepping out. We are called to be a peculiar people. That doesn't sound common to me. When you're peculiar, you will be misunderstood. Learn to welcome that. It's really a blessing in disguise. It will keep you from slipping into mediocrity and living an invisible existence.

You know I have to share some definitions ;)

• Common = of mediocre or inferior quality; mean; low; lacking rank, station, distinction, etc.; unexceptional; ordinary
• Peculiar = distinctive in nature or character from others (Antonym - common)

Which would YOU rather be?

Anti-Conformity is my new creed. I dare ya to try to fence me in!