For years, people have told me I’m different. My story is an exception to the way people “typically” get saved. As an exception, I (evidently) feel and experience things other “typical” or “normal” women don’t. For example, I am passionate about leading and lean on logic more than my emotions.
I’ve been categorized as an exception in the same way many have categorized Deborah, who was raised to lead an army. Some even claim it’s because God didn’t have a man to raise up at the time. Really? “Exceptions” always bothered me.
But what if the people we have categorized as exceptions aren’t really exceptions at all? What if we’ve just surrounded ourselves with people who are so much like us that anyone not like us or what we’ve seen is automatically stereotyped as different… as exceptions?
Think about this for a moment.
An exception implies that it, or a person, doesn’t follow a rule. (As a die-hard rule follower, this alone initially frustrated me.)
An exception implies that it, or someone, wasn’t done on purpose. Some definitions of exception actually include the word mistake. Do we really think God makes mistakes?
An exception implies that it, or a person, doesn’t belong. If everyone in your circle looks like you and is expected to, could it be that you’ve made others feel like they don’t belong?
However, I also believe the body of Christ could be seen as made up entirely of exceptions: People who are set apart from the world’s rules, ways, and behaviors. Christians are exceptional people who are citizens of heaven and ambassadors on earth. We should be exceptional because we’ve found a way to unite with people who seem different, from every nation, language, tribe, and tongue, through our Savior Jesus Christ.
At the end of the day, if we want a multicultural, multigenerational church body, we need to change some things about ourselves. One is our tendency to gravitate towards people who look like us, think like us, have experiences similar to our own, or are people our own age.
If everyone who is different is an exception to your understanding of how things should be, based on your experience and understanding, maybe you’re not doing what it takes to fulfill the Great Commission by GOING OUT! Step out of your comfort zone to reach & understand others who are unlike you. Iron sharpens iron, right?
Even as I’m typing this, I’m challenged. Each person in my circle is exceptional, and every salvation story is supernatural. Whether you got saved after walking up to the altar or with a crazy story like mine, God’s work in us has taken dead hearts and made them alive.
Side note: If missionaries study culture before they go out to help them meet people where they are, shouldn’t we, too?
Here’s the thing, I really don’t feel like I’m an exception in my circle since we all are. I am called by God. Different? Yes, but not so much that I couldn’t find a place at the table in my Christian circle (where I’m supposed to belong.) Let’s rethink “biblical roles” in light of how God can call, equip, raise up, and send out anyone He chooses. We can start by changing our language to reflect the exceptional work of our God in people.
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