So You Want Extraordinary?

I have been recently throwing around the word “extraordinary” and hearing others use it as well. So, what exactly is extraordinary and how do we achieve it? Extraordinary is something that is exceptional, a break from the normal, from the mundane. Extraordinary is living out loud! Living an extraordinary life, however, is much harder to do than it is to define. You see we have distractions, stresses and plentiful excuses… “You don’t know the pressure I am under, Justin” or “Not right now, maybe later.” We have our comfort zones and our little shells that we crawl into when life comes at us. I’m guilty of it. You are too. Let me tell you though…we aren’t meant to live mundane lives. We are created to be extraordinary.

Assuming that you are one of those who say they want extraordinary, then it’s probably a safe bet that you aren’t there yet. And doing my little math to figure things out, if you aren’t at extraordinary then you are probably somewhere between there and mundane. How do we move from mundane to extraordinary? That’s simple to explain, but much harder to do…we have to pour ourselves out. How do you do that? Well, live! Live out loud. Don’t be afraid to get hurt, don’t withhold yourself.

C.S. Lewis puts it like this “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” Basically, don’t let the mundane things in life drag you down. C.S. Lewis talks about love here, but this can be said about life in general. Love, laugh, and smile more often. Forgive those who have hurt you and show grace more often. Be passionate about life. Now let me preface this by saying be passionate within the realm of God’s law. Don’t think for a second I am saying “Hey, go out and be sinful…that’s how you can be passionate about life.” That’s not what I am saying at all. God wants us to live extraordinary lives. God’s Word agrees in Galatians 4:18 “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.”

Again, to attain extraordinary we have to pour ourselves out. We have to allow our cup to overflow. This means we have to be willing to constantly let God move through us. Let that living water flow through you. Too many times I see, myself included, Christians sitting on their hands, letting stagnation enter into their lives. God has filled us up; we have no reason to not pour that out for others. What are you good at? Is it writing? Then write for God. Perhaps you love to run, go run a marathon and do it for His glory. Are you artistic? Then paint, scrapbook, or design and do it for Him. Be extraordinary and be purposeful about what you do. Climb up those mountains, and take time to accomplish great things. Don’t sit still when you have life to live. Live it out in service for others. Volunteer, help, and serve. Be passionate about it and do it for the glory of God. Once we realize that we aren’t here to live for ourselves, it becomes much easier to achieve extraordinary.

So, do you still want extraordinary? I know I do. I live to serve and to bring glory to my Father in Heaven. He WILL be lived out in my daily walk, in the way I talk, the way I think, the way I work, the way I serve, and the way I love. You see, I don’t want the mundane, I want extraordinary.