Are people who follow Jesus somehow different from everyone else?
It’s sort of a trick question, right?
We’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to be set apart. 1 Peter 2:9 says we’re “… a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession …”
I don’t know about you, but there’s not much about my actions that people would recognize as royal or holy.
I used to think “God’s people” were probably the professional church folks, the ministers and pastors and priests and missionaries who get paid to be holy. But then I got to know a few of them and discovered that they had their own weaknesses and failures and were generally about as messed up as the rest of us.
At first that realization really disappointed me, but then I realized it was actually a relief. If you didn’t need some kind of password or secret handshake, then maybe I had a shot.
Putting these people in a special class was a mistake. They’re just people.
And the Bible heroes?
So what about the characters from the Bible? Were they different than you and me?
I don’t think so. I think they mostly battled the same doubts and fears we battle. That’s what makes their stories so remarkable.
When we dehumanize these characters and pretend that they didn’t have to overcome the same challenges we encounter, we cheapen their stories and diminish their impact. We imagine that God spoke to them in some magical way that’s different than how He speaks to us, so we can’t possibly act with the same sort of conviction and courage.
Most biblical figures, like contemporary church leaders, aren’t remarkable because God gave them super powers. They faced the same fears, doubts, and temptations we face. They failed and fell short.
They stepped out in faith and took on enormous challenges that made no sense. They faced ridicule and pain and death with courage. They loved those who harmed them.
They were just ordinary people who overcame the same obstacles you and I face to do extraordinary things. They trusted God, listened to His voice, and followed His Spirit’s guidance.
It wasn’t easy for them. For us either.
Do you tend to dismiss Bible characters as superheroes? Does it help to think of them as regular people?
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I’m honored to be the guest writer today at The Seed Company. Swing by and check it out.
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