Ordinary or Extraordinary?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about the difference between being conformed or transformed spiritually in relation to the world in which we live. Today, my mind is thinking about the difference between being ordinary or extraordinary.

I think of ordinary as being like most other things in the same category. I play Bunco with a wonderful group of teacher friends. For years, each table played with the normal white dice with black dots - ordinary. Then a math teacher in the group brought dice she used with her students. Some were green, some red, some yellow, some pink, etc. - extraordinary! We never know what color of dice will be at our table as we try to play our way to the top! For some strange reason, it makes our games more fun. (It may be that it just doesn't take much to entertain ladies who have been with kids all day!)

In the same manner, after I had been teaching long enough to get my legs under me, I decided I did not want to be an ordinary teacher teaching an ordinary subject. I wanted my students to love literature and writing and even grammar (now that's a stretch!) as much as I did. So if it meant creating lesson plans beyond what the textbook suggested or thinking up assignments and projects that would capture their interest and also be somewhat fun, then that's what I would try to do. At one point, the teachers on my interdisciplinary team and I decided to recreate with the students the Oregon Trail. We put together math, English, history, and science to tramp across the acreage surrounding our school with the students pulling their wagons and dealing with our version of the many hazards the pioneers faced.

Now, obviously, we had mixed reactions from the students. These were eighth graders, so to some it was NOT cool to be dressed up like a pioneer pulling a red wagon loaded down with pounds of bricks and water jugs. I did see quite a bit of eye-rolling going on! But we had so much fun, and I can guarantee you that those students will remember more about Westward Expansion than they ever thought possible. My oldest daughter was in that first group of trail-blazers, so I saw a LOT of eye-rolling from her. I mean - it was her MOTHER making them all do this! Not cool! But not long ago, she mentioned how much fun that experience was and how unlike any other "lesson" in school she experienced - and she is almost 30! It was extraodinary!

Well, I don't want to live an ordinary Christian life! And I don't believe the Lord wants or expects the ordinary from us. Let's look back to Romans 12:2 -

• Do not be conformed to this world [live like ordinary, worldly people], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....[live an extraordinary life by learning to think like Jesus] (editorial comments are mine)

Living that kind of extraordinary life can't be accomplished without the help of the Holy Spirit living in a believer. But if that Spirit does live there, then that believer has the capacity to learn to think like Jesus. And that, my friends, will lead to an extra-extraordinary existence!

A good place to begin is Philippians 4:8. This verse can serve as a filter for our thought processes.

• Finally brethern, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

If we want to have our minds renewed, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, then we must choose to learn to think like He thinks. That verse gives us insight into what He likes His mind to ponder. Truth, honor, righteousness, purity, love, excellence, praise-worthy....

Now, I've been working on this for a while, and I have to tell you it is NOT an easy task. It is NOT our nature to think on the honorable, right, pure and lovely things about ourself, our circumstances, or other people! So don't get discouraged and give in to being ordinary. Remember that you (I) can do all things through Christ who gives us (me) the strength! (Phil. 4:13)

Let's agree that we want to be one of those green, red, or even yellow die that when scattered on the table draws attention to itself because it is different - in a good way. Our difference will be because we have the mind of Christ and are learning to think like Him.