Strangers may find that hard to believe. Those who know me know the truth of the statement. To some degree I'm a walking contradiction. All indicators of my early life would have me either dead or in prison today. According to psychiatric theories and sociologists speculations the markers in my life from birth to rebirth should have placed me either dead or in prison. Yet, I've not been to prison. I'm still alive and kicking. Predictors of where one will be in life are merely speculation based on the past of an individual, their family (or lack thereof), the social environment they existed in and where they are now. All of these items are very important and do to some degree tell us where we will end up. BUT then Jesus arrives! So, why am I still a contradiction? Why is it I don't belong anymore than when I did as a teenager, young adult or even later years? I don't belong with most people and to most social environments. But the, as a Christian, I'm not supposed to. I'm supposed to belong to Christ regardless where I am and what I am doing. Regardless of those involved in my life and those who are exiting my life I will go on.
Contradictions are those things incongruent with that which is around us. The question then is begged; what are we doing not being contradictions? To be congruent with Christ means to be incongruent with the world and vice versa. What has happened since time eternal is man's adjustment to NOT be a contradiction. Fit in. Be a part of. No wave making. Don't rock the boat. Be what people expect you to be. Don't offend anyone. You get the picture. Whatever you do, according to the world, don't be different. It makes others uncomfortable. Whatever you do, according to Christ and the Bible, be as Christ who contradicted the world. Throw the money changers out of the temple. Lay hands on people and cast out demons, heal the sick and deliver those with afflictions. Pray with faith that HIS will be done regardless how uncomfortable others may be. If my life wasn't a contradiction I would be worried. I don't know any other kind of life. When I've been in spaces where I wasn't a contradiction I dropped into sin. Whenever I lived the contradictory life of Christ He delivered me from sin.
When we run the major characters God used throughout the Old and New Testaments all we see are contradictions. Why do we think we need to be any different. We are "a people called apart" and we ought to live like it. We are to be "in the world but not of the world" and we ought to live like it. We are sojourners here on earth. Sojourners live to their calling and not the calling of others. I remember during my high school years learning that I was expected to get out of high school, get a job, work for 30 years and retire. I was expected to have a home, wife, children and eventually grandchildren. Maybe have a dog or two. I've had 18 different vocations. Why? Because that's what God had me do. He used me in one place until he needed me in another. Sometimes I did the choosing. It was only later that I saw his hand in all of this plan. I'm a contradiction. I have 7 children and 5 grandchildren. Not 2.5 like the world wanted at that time. I retired at 53. Not because I wanted to. I had worked hard and damaged my body and mind beyond the ability to continue working. Seven surgeries later I live a good life...on disability retirement. I am a contradiction. I wasn't supposed to amount to much. I am a contradiction.
My senior class in high school voted me most likely to fail. They were right and wrong. I did fail...but I got up and tried again. Their prediction was from their stand point. The reality was from God's standpoint. He delivered me from myself and here I am. I'm a success! People hate that. I've been educated (almost 3 Masters degrees), travelled (international and across the US), been a successful business man, and NOT been in prison or even the county jail. I'm a contradiction. Maybe you are a contradiction as well. We don't need to be predictable. Jesus wasn't. We don't need to reflect the world. Jesus didn't. We don't need to live out others expectations. Jesus didn't. We don't need to live eternally in hell because of What Christ did. All he asks is that we be a contradiction. Does my life shout so loud that everyone can see there is something different about me? I hope so. Though I know at times people didn't see my commitment to Christ at all. Those were times when I wasn't a contradiction. Wait! I was a contradiction in regards to my Christian faith. What are we to do?
The Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. Because the Gospel is being lived through me, people see me as foolishness. I wouldn't have it any other way. Some of my best memories were and are of times when God asked me to act contrary to what was expected. If I chose to be a contradiction to Christianity I wouldn't risk, take a chance or risk being ostracized by those around me. If I chose to be a contradiction to the world I wouldn't risk, take a chance or risk being ostracized by those around me. The outcome is different for the same action/reaction. The outcome for being seen as a contradiction to those who are perishing is I live eternally with Jesus. The outcome for being seen as a contradiction by those who believe is that I live eternally in hell. You do to. It's always our choice.
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