Oddballs And Behavior Plans

Comparison is a killer, I know. But I often sit in church, looking around, wondering if I'm the oddball. I wonder if anyone else has a past similar to mine, if anyone else struggles with the things I do, if anyone else feels like an oddball. I'd bet my life that there are many, but we all sit quietly in fear of being ourselves. To be sure, we all look alike. We all fit the mold. I don't see a single person that looks like an oddball. But I wonder how many of us feel like it.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the silent, fearful oddballs just might be the majority of the church!

We are a hurting people who have been fed a pack of lies since we could hear and understand. We've been told by preachers, teachers, authors, women's and men's ministry leaders, evangelists, etc. that our heart is evil and deceitful. Because of that, an unspoken {who am I kidding??...sometimes spoken} behavior plan has been put in place for us to abide by. They're not called rules, for that would be blatant legalism, but they're definitely a list of shoulds and should nots:

We should...
have a daily quiet time that includes Bible reading, study and prayer
read the Bible in its entirety at least once a year
attend church every Sunday and Wednesday

We should not...
drink alcohol
have tattoos
wear our jeans too tight
socialize too often with non-Christians

Those lists could be a mile long. And I've tried to live by them. Christian behavior plans only work for so long.

What happened to allowing Holy Spirit to guide us into truth? Do we think He won't do what Jesus said He would do? Are we so prideful that we have to bypass Him and make a list of rules for Christians to live by?

To the oddballs: We were given a new heart {a good heart} and made holy when we entered relationship with God. We don't need to try to live by a behavior plan. We simply need to trust that He will lead us to live a life that is for our good and His glory. Find the freedom to live in grace. Then find the courage to speak up!