Finding a New Normal

Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.”

What does your normal day look like? One thing for sure is that this worldwide coronavirus pandemic has caused everyone to abandon their normal daily routine and take temporary measures to protect themselves and their loved ones. The number of infected and deaths is beyond imagination, the number of jobs interrupted or lost is staggering, the number of businesses closing is shocking, the amount of sports cancelled and entertainment venues shutdown is unbelievable, the financial impact is overwhelming, and the closing of churches across the country is astounding. All this and sheltering-in-place for months causes an “abnormal” lifestyle of anxiety, fears and stress to say the least. We all are looking forward to the end of this year’s flu season, the end of this deadly epidemic and gradually returning to some sense of normal again. Remember the good ole days? Many are working hard to get us there as soon as safely possible. In the case of this health crisis, we are not looking for a “new normal” in our life; we are just trying to find normal.

The word “normal” is defined as 1a: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern b: according with a norm, rule, or principle. 2: occurring naturally. Normal is an interesting word because it is what you make of it in your regular pattern of life according to our norm. Yet, as the Jeremiah verse above points out, we can be accustomed to doing good or bad as our norm. Unfortunately, the normal inner life and the natural man is infected by sin, but there is a cure. Romans 3:22-24 tells us, “Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” When our lives are handicapped by sin, walking blindly in ungodly darkness and destined to failure, we need to find a new normal in Christ, the foundation to the abundant life God designed us for.

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

May God grant the remission and eventual eradication of Coronavirus, that His church may get back on mission to worship together in spirit, for the saving souls and making disciples of all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let’s get our living back to normal from this current pandemic and get our lives to a new normal in Christ. Amen.

Brian