Tag: overflow

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” —Ephesians 2:10

When is the last time a stranger asked, “Are you a Christian?” How often does someone say, “I could tell you were a believer before we even spoke”? 

I’ve always enjoyed observing others. Discernment is one of my spiritual gifts, and I often notice someone and think, “I’ll bet he or she is a Christian.” There are a lot of people who can speak like a Christian when asked or interviewed, but I’m always more interested in hearing from those who exhibit the character of Christ in random, unplanned situations. Those moments often reveal the power of Christ’s Spirit at work.

A supernatural normal

I’ve always been an average, normal person. I am average height, average IQ, and average in my lifestyle choices. I’ve often said I am a “one-person marketing opportunity.” If I really like something, chances are most others will, too. I was watching Shark Tank the night when Lori Grenier bought the Scrub Daddy sponge and said, “That thing is going to sell!” According to a recent Fortune article, the little sponge company is now a $220 million empire. 

The Scrub Daddy began as a sponge with one shape, one color, and one purpose. Now, there is a wide variety of products that share a similar purpose. Scrub Daddy sponges exist to make things cleaner. 

You could say that about the wide variety of God’s children as well. 

Christians are uniquely unique in this world. We don’t look like any one region of the globe. We have different customs, foods, languages, gifts, and abilities. There really isn’t such a thing as an “average Christian.” How could there be? Each of us has been filled with a holy Spirit, who is the presence of the supernatural God in our lives. And each of us exists to use our witness to make our world “a little cleaner.”

Each Christian life has been gifted and filled with a supernatural normal to fulfill a divine calling.

Created to be uniquely unique

If someone were to ask me what a “normal Christian” looks like, I would have no real answer. We truly are created to be uniquely unique. What do “most Christians” look like? How do most Christians worship? How do most Christians dress, live, work, or enjoy their lives? What is a normal day in the life of a Christian? Where do Christians live?

According to a Wikipedia article, “Christians made up 2.3 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people in 2020 according to a 2025 Pew Research Center study. This represents 28.8% of the world’s population. Christianity is the largest religion in the world.” If you have time, glance at the article and notice how many countries are listed as having Christians in their population. What will the citizens of heaven look like? The only answer is “the whole world.”

The only true similarity amongst Christians is the Holy Spirit within. Christians are uniquely unique in that we are the children of the Creator God, whom we call our Father. Most moms I know have said something like: “I raised my kids in the same house, taught them the same lessons, yet each of my kids is very different in their own ways.” God would say that about his adopted children as well. 

We aren’t supposed to be “cookie-cutter Christians.” Human beings are created in the image of God, and what does God look like? Sound like? Act like? No wonder we are “uniquely unique!”

The potential of our supernatural normal

I enjoy picking out Christians in a crowded airport. These people come from every country and speak every language. How then can I pick them out in the crowd? 

• The fruit of the Spirit – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22–23). None of us gets this completely right, 100 percent of the time. But it’s surprising how often we overflow with God’s fruit just because we spent time with him that day.
• The ability to endure hardships with peaceful, unshakeable faith and joy. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4). Why does God allow his children to suffer the same difficulties as everyone else? Because it is likely our suffering will provide our greatest rewards in heaven. Our sufferings often give us our greatest opportunities to share God with others as well.
• “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). A Spirit-led Christian thinks differently about so many things in this world. Our Christian perspective is often a powerful witness to others. When we think like God, we are likely to act like God’s child.

The potential of our supernatural normal can change our lives and the lives of those around us. There is a reason that Christianity exists in almost every country in our world. Jesus told his disciples, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). How close are we to the fulfillment of Jesus’ words?

Live as a unique, supernatural, normal child of God

Jesus promised his return someday. The internet has enabled God’s word to travel throughout the world, and people are now coming to know God in great numbers. AI is also an interesting addition to the spread of God’s word throughout the world. 

Who do you know that still needs to know Jesus?

How often does someone say, “I could tell you were a believer before we even spoke?” If you don’t hear that very often, ask God to help you turn up the volume of your witness. In the end, living your normal life with your unique, supernatural witness will be what adds the most value to your eternal life. 

Who will see you today and think, “I’ll bet he or she is a Christian”? You will rarely know when that happens this side of heaven. Once we are in heaven, though, we will get to meet those we helped to know Jesus.

I hope you will enjoy a supernatural, normal day today!